SpaceX is targeting an early morning Falcon 9 rocket launch —but could anvil clouds and cumulus clouds around Cape Canaveral jeopardize this mission?
Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY Space Team’s live coverage of the impending SpaceX Starlink 6-84 launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
SpaceX aims for a target time of 4:54 a.m. on Sunday. For lift-off from Pad 39A to deploy 29 Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit. Alternative launch windows are available up till 8:40 a.m., should they be required.
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The 45th Weather Squadron of the Space Force forecasted a 60% probability of good weather conditions initially during the pre-dawn launch window, which was expected to drop to 50% towards the latter part. Meteorologists warned that thick clouds might develop directly above and around the spaceport due to rain showers and scattered thunderstorms moving away toward the eastern side.
There are no anticipated sonic booms in Central Florida. Following an ascent into the sky on a southeastern path, the rocket's initial stage will aim for a touchdown on a SpaceX unmanned vessel in the ocean approximately 8 minutes and 19 seconds post launch.
Once SpaceX's live webcast starts approximately five minutes prior to launch, you can find it displayed below alongside our countdown clock.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 is currently being fueled up.
Update 4:25 a.m.: Falcon 9 fueling procedures are now underway at pad 39A, billowing white water vapor indicates.
That means the Starlink mission countdown is locked in to lift off at 4:54 a.m. without any delays, or else the predawn launch must be postponed to a later date.
SpaceX to launch 29 satellites on Falcon 9
Update 4:15 a.m.: SpaceX has not made any public statements regarding this morning's Starlink launch, but it seems to include a set of 29 V2 Mini Optimized satellites.
The company stated in a progress report issued in January that their upcoming generation of satellites come equipped with enhanced avionics, propulsion systems, and power units. A single Falcon 9 launch has the capacity to deploy up to 29 of these newly refined satellites, as opposed to the previous version—V2 Mini—which launched 23 spacecraft at once when they debuted in 2023.
The V2 Mini Optimized satellites have a launch weight of about 575 kilograms (1,267 pounds), which is almost 22% less massive compared to the initial V2 Mini satellites. This reduction enables Falcon to deploy greater network capability into orbit with each launch, according to the report.
Preparations for SpaceX launch getting started in Brevard County
Update 4 a.m.: Brevard County Emergency Management officials have activated the agency's launch operations support team ahead of SpaceX’s upcoming Falcon 9 launch.
Starlink launch to be 38th of year from Space Coast
Update 3:45 a.m.: The impending launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 will mark the 38th time an orbital rocket takes off this year up until now at KSC and nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Tap here for FLORIDA TODAY Space Team's ongoing list tracking this year's missions. , featuring photo galleries along with linked stories.
Additional details on SpaceX launch weather conditions
Update 3:30 a.m.: The 45th Weather Squadron forecast warned of potential showers and isolated storms forming Saturday afternoon along a sea breeze collision zone over the Florida peninsula.
"While they will likely push off to our east by the early morning launch window, the main watch item will be convection that develops in the Gulf and the associated anvil clouds, as well as mid to upper-level clouds associated with the subtropical jet," the forecast said.
"The advancing cold front suggests somewhat better conditions at the beginning of the launch window than towards its close. Key considerations include the Anvil Cloud Rules, Cumulus Cloud Rule, and Dense Cloud Layer Criteria, with particular emphasis on the Cumulus Cloud Rule," according to the forecast.
To stay updated with the most recent news and launch schedules from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, check out their websites. Wiseova/space .
Rick Neale is a Space Journalist at FLORIDA TODAY. Reach out to Neale at Rneale@Wiseova . Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
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The article initially appeared in Florida Today: SpaceX Launch: Live Updates From the Starlink Falcon 9 Lift-Off at Cape Canaveral, Florida
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