SpaceX is back flying high with another mission set to blast off Wednesday evening sending another batch of internet satellites into orbit.
The Falcon 9 rocket will lift off from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 9:25 p.m ET. June 3.
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The high clouds may obscure the rocket view from Jacksonville, much like Saturday’s clouds blocked the spectacle of the Launch America mission to the International Space Station.
There is a small concern those clouds coming from the Gulf of Mexico could increase with showers but not increase enough to jeopardize the launch. Currently, there is a 70% chance of good weather.
If there are any delays in Wednesday’s launch, the backup date is Thursday, but weather will deteriorate Thursday making a second attempt less likely.
SpaceX is launching Starlink to provide high-speed, low-latency broadband connectivity across the globe, including to locations where internet has traditionally been too expensive, unreliable, or entirely unavailable.
This mission will test a new satellite design to minimize brightness while also increasing the number of consumers that it can serve with high-speed internet access.
It will be the first Starlink satellite with a deployable visor to block sunlight from hitting the brightest spots of the spacecraft in an attempt to minimize the impact to astronomers who have struggled with observing through the growing numbers of Starlink satellites in low earth orbit.
SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Just Read the Instructions” droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. It may be possible to see the returning rocket flair above the horizon from the shores of NE Florida.
Approximately 45 minutes after liftoff, SpaceX’s fairing recovery vessels, “Ms. Tree” and “Ms. Chief,” will attempt to recover the two fairing halves.