SpaceX is targeting its next Falcon 9 rocket launch Sunday night from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — hours after a series of showers and thunderstorms are supposed to sweep across the Space Coast.
In fact, the Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron predicts 95% odds of “launch-off” weather conditions.
SpaceX announced that the launch of Starlink 6-43 will be targeted for 7:05 PM EDT on Sunday from Launch Complex 40, with backup opportunities available if needed until 11:03 PM.
The Falcon 9 rocket will deploy another payload of 23 Starlink broadband satellites into low Earth orbit, adding to SpaceX's growing constellation.
After the separation phase, the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage booster will aim to land on a SpaceX drone ship near the Bahamas. So Brevard County residents shouldn't hear the sonic boom that accompanies booster landings at the Space Force station.
The last Space Coast Starlink mission lifted off Monday night amid a dense fog warning issued by the National Weather Service for northern Brevard County. Thick fog obscured views for photographers at the Cape, but spectators elsewhere enjoyed stunning views as the rocket climbed along its southeastern trajectory.
NWS meteorologists expect a strong cold front to generate showers and thunderstorms Saturday night and Sunday across Brevard. However, the forecast for Sunday night calls for mostly cloudy skies, a low around 57 degrees, and north-northwest winds of 10 to 15 mph at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
“Conditions appear to be very favorable with little chance of a cumulonimbus cloud violation,” the 45th Weather Squadron forecast said.
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This week, the Space Force hosted three public meetings to gather environmental comments on SpaceX's plan to convert Launch Complex 37 into a Starship-Super Heavy launch site by 2026 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX is also building extensive Starship launch infrastructure at Kennedy Space Center's Pad 39A complex.
Given Cape's launch timeline, NASA's SpaceX CRS-30 cargo resupply mission to the ISS remains scheduled to launch no later than mid-March.
No target date has been set for the mission, which will send a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station via a Falcon 9 from Launch Complex 40.
For FLORIDA TODAY Space Team mission updates leading up to Sunday's Starlink 6-43 launch, visit floridatoday.com/space about 90 minutes before the launch window opens.
Rick Neil He is Florida Today's space correspondent (for more of his stories, click here.) Call Neale at 321-242-3638 or [email protected]. Twitter/X: @Rick Neal1
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