Launch Day Rescheduled After a Friday Night Delay
Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY’s Space Team’s live coverage of the SpaceX Starlink mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, now set for tonight after a delay. SpaceX has rescheduled the launch for 11:09 p.m. EDT, nearly four hours later than initially planned, marking its second attempt to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from pad 39A.
Cape Canaveral: Curious about today’s launch? Check out the upcoming rocket launch schedule for SpaceX and NASA in Florida [here](http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2024/03/01/rocket-launch-schedule-march-missions-cape-canaveral-florida-ksc-spacex-nasa-ula/72807895007/).
This attempt to launch Starlink 6-42 follows a postponement announced on Friday night due to unfavorable weather conditions. The Falcon 9 rocket aims to deploy a batch of Starlink internet satellites, housed within the fairing atop the 230-foot rocket.
Local residents can rest easy as no sonic booms are expected. The rocket’s first-stage booster will aim for a landing on a drone ship at sea, 8½ minutes post-liftoff, following a southeasterly trajectory.
[View Gallery – SpaceX’s CRS-30 cargo resupply mission to the ISS from Cape Canaveral in Florida](http://www.floridatoday.com/picture-gallery/tech/science/space/2024/03/21/spacex-launches-crs-30-resupply-mission-from-cape-canaveral-in-florida/73051520007/).
**SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster Lands Successfully**
**Update 11:17 p.m.:** The Falcon 9 first-stage booster has successfully landed on SpaceX’s drone ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean, marking its 19th mission. This achievement also marks the drone ship’s 75th successful landing.
**Liftoff!**
**Update 11:09 p.m.:** Despite the evening’s delays, SpaceX has successfully launched the Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center (KSC), carrying 23 Starlink satellites.
**SpaceX Launch Webcast Begins**
**Update 11:04 p.m.:** The launch webcast, hosted on X (formerly Twitter), is now live, with the countdown clock ticking down to liftoff scheduled in just five minutes from KSC.
**SpaceX Launch Countdown Timeline**
**Update 10:53 p.m.:** Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at SpaceX’s final countdown timeline, leading up to the scheduled launch.
**SpaceX: All Systems and Weather ‘Go’**
**Update 10:44 p.m.:** SpaceX has confirmed via tweet that “all systems and weather are currently go” for tonight’s launch, despite the extended delays.
**SpaceX Falcon 9 Fueling Begins**
**Update 10:34 p.m.:** Fueling procedures for the Falcon 9 have commenced at pad 39A, committing to tonight’s 11:09 p.m. launch time without further delays.
**Storms Moving Offshore**
**Update 10:15 p.m.:** Radar from the National Weather Service’s Melbourne station shows the severe storms that passed near Cape Canaveral moving offshore, with the delayed 11:09 p.m. liftoff now less than an hour away.
**Storm Clouds Over Kennedy Space Center**
**Update 9:52 p.m.:** Just before sunset, an ominous storm cloud was spotted north of the KSC press site, captured by FLORIDA TODAY Photographer/Videographer Craig Bailey.
**SpaceX Booster Set for 19th Mission**
**Update 9:29 p.m.:** Tonight’s mission marks the 19th flight for this particular Falcon 9 first-stage booster, with a history of launching various missions including GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, and multiple Starlink missions. Post-stage separation, the booster is expected to land on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean, 8 minutes and 26 seconds after liftoff.
**Storms Continue North of Cape**
**Update 8:30 p.m.:** The National Weather Service radar continues to show fierce storms passing north of Cape Canaveral, potentially affecting booster-recovery conditions in the Bahamas.
**SpaceX Sets Lengthy Delay to 11:09 p.m.**
**Update 7:34 p.m.:** SpaceX has announced a significant delay, pushing tonight’s mission to 11:09 p.m., just 20 minutes before the close of the four-hour launch window.
For the latest updates from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and KSC, visit [floridatoday.com/space](http://www.floridatoday.com/space).
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. For more stories, [click here](http://www.floridatoday.com/staff/4387025002/rick-neale/). Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or [Rneale@floridatoday.com](mailto:Rneale@floridatoday.com). Follow him on X: [@RickNeale1](https://twitter.com/RickNeale1).
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