SpaceX Starlink Prepares to Launch More Than 40 Satellites On Presidents' Day

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket loaded with 46 Starlink internet satellites stands atop the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, ready to launch on Monday morning.

SpaceX said they initially scheduled the launch on 9:44 a.m. EST Sunday. But they postponed the launch due to weather conditions in the recovery zone.

According to the 45th Weather Squadron, weather conditions are 90% good for Monday's launch. In the case of another 24-hour delay, launch weather officials stated Sunday that weather conditions would remain roughly the same.

Starlink Satellite Launch on Presidents' Day

In Monday's launch using SpaceX's Starlink, 49 satellites were released on low orbit on top of the Falcon 9 aircraft. The launchpad for Falcon 9 will be Space Launch Complex 40. A projected rocket landing is also part of the launch.

The Falcon 9's first stage will return to Earth around nine minutes after liftoff for a vertical touchdown on SpaceX's drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean a few hundred miles off the Florida coast, according to Space.com.

URUGUAY-SPACE-SPACEX-SATELLITE-STARLINK
This long-exposure image shows a trail of a group of SpaceX's Starlink satellites passing over Uruguay as seen from the countryside some 185 km north of Montevideo near Capilla del Sauce, Florida Department, on February 6, 2021. MARIANA SUAREZ/AFP via Getty Images

This current Starlink mission will be the 36th operational Starlink mission when it is finished, increasing the total number of Starlink satellites launched to 2,140, with 1,926 still in orbit above the Earth after their first deployment.

SpaceX established the Starlink branch of services. Through the utilization of Starlink satellites, Starlink delivers fast and low-latency internet connectivity. Starlink internet services are presently only offered in a limited number of areas and countries.

Why SpaceX Delayed Sunday Launch

According to a Business Insider, the launch of SpaceX's Starlink on Sunday has been postponed due to the severe weather.

The flight was initially planned for Sunday, Feb. 20, at exactly 11:13 a.m. EST.

Netizens wondered how the corporation would achieve its aim if it continued to scrub its launch timetables.

Before the end of 2022, SpaceX expects to launch 52 times. It implies that each week, the business must perform one spaceflight.

About SpaceX Falcon 9

The launch and landing will be the 11th time this Falcon 9 first stage has been launched and landed, according to EverydayAstronaut.com.

This launch will tie the Falcon 9 reuse record, which was previously established by a separate Falcon 9 core during a Starlink launch in December. Falcon 9 has long been touted as a reusable rocket by SpaceX.

Despite this, SpaceX has already launched three big Starlink missions this year. In January, the business launched two sets of satellites, followed by another in February.

However, because of a geomagnetic storm on Earth, SpaceX's launch on Feb. 3 had major complications.

How to Watch Launch

SpaceX has now launched over 2,100 Starlink satellites into orbit, but it is far from finished.

The business has received the license to launch 12,000 Starlink ships and has asked an international regulator for authorization to launch up to 30,000 more.

The launch of SpaceX's Falcon 9 may be seen live on the official Starlink YouTube channel.

Check out more news and information on Starlink in Science Times.

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