Launch recap: SpaceX rocket launches after scrub from Kennedy Space Center
Launch recap: Live updates from the Starlink 6-83 mission which launched at 1:02 a.m. on May 13 from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A.
Original Story: After a scrub early this morning, SpaceX crews will try again tonight to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center — but will springtime clouds and precipitation pose a threat yet again?
SpaceX is now targeting 1:02 a.m. to launch the Falcon 9 from pad 39A to deploy a payload of 28 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit. Backup liftoff opportunities are available beyond midnight through 3:31 a.m. Tuesday, if needed.
The Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron only predicted a 50% chance of "go for launch" early during this four-hour window, citing cumulus clouds and surface electric fields. However, those odds of favorable weather jump to 90% "with quick improvement for the remainder of the window."
After soaring along a southeasterly trajectory, the rocket's first-stage booster will target landing aboard a SpaceX drone ship out at sea about eight minutes after liftoff.
Countdown Timer
Update 1:10 a.m.: The Falcon 9 first-stage booster just landed aboard SpaceX's drone ship Just Read the Instructions out on the Atlantic Ocean, completing its 28th mission.
Update 1:02 a.m.: The Falcon 9 rocket has left KSC Pad 39A!
Update 12:56 a.m.: SpaceX's launch webcast hosted on X (formerly Twitter) is now posted above, right below the countdown clock.
Liftoff is scheduled in six minutes from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A.
Update 12:52 a.m.: T-10 minutes! Head outside if you plan on catching this launch! If you have clear skies, it will be hard to miss the bright rocket rising into the sky.
Update 12:42 a.m.: Here's a behind-the-scenes rundown of SpaceX's countdown timeline. T-minus:
38 minutes: SpaceX launch director verifies 'go' for propellant load.
35 minutes: Rocket-grade kerosene and first-stage liquid oxygen loading begins.
16 minutes: Second-stage liquid oxygen loading begins.
7 minutes: Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch.
1 minute: Command flight computer begins final prelaunch checks; propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins.
45 seconds: SpaceX launch director verifies 'go' for launch.
3 seconds: Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start.
0 seconds: Liftoff.
Update 12:30 a.m.: Visual cues indicate Falcon 9 fueling procedures are now underway at KSC Pad 39A, though SpaceX has yet to make an official announcement.
That means tonight's Starlink mission is now locked in to lift off at 1:02 a.m. without any countdown delays, or else the launch must be postponed.
Update 12:22 a.m.: It will be a record-breaking 28th flight for the first-stage booster. Previous flights include: 16 Starlink missions, CRS-22, NASA's Crew-3, Turksat 5B, NASA's Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, O3B mPOWER-A, PSN SATRIA, Telkomsat Merah Putih 2, Galileo L13, and Koreasat-6A.
Eight-and-a-half minutes after launch, the booster will land on the Just Read the Instructions drone ship, which will be waiting out on the Atlantic Ocean.
Update 12:15 a.m.: SpaceX is still targeting 1:02 a.m. for tonight's liftoff.
Meanwhile, Axiom Space has provided a look at the spacesuit which astronauts will wear on the lunar surface during the Artemis III mission, which is set for no earlier than mid-2027. ESA astronaut, Matthias Maurer, recently got to test out the new lunar spacesuit.
Update 12:05 a.m.: NASA is seeking public input on the design of the zero-g indicator for the Artemis II mission. Artemis II is set to fly a crew of four around the moon no earlier than Spring 2026.
At 3 p.m. ET today, NASA experts will go live on Twitch to live-sketch a zero-g indicator.
Learn more here: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-goes-live-on-twitch-design-artemis-ii-moon-mascot/
Update 11:55 p.m.: While the previous two Starship launches from Texas did not go as smooth as SpaceX planned, the company is finally moving toward Flight 9.
SpaceX has posted video footage of the Starship for Flight 9 being transported for pre-launch testing in Texas.
SpaceX has not yet provided an official launch date for the massive rocket's ninth test flight.
Update 11:45 p.m.: Tonight's Florida SpaceX launch isn't the only one for the company. Earlier this evening, SpaceX launched 26 Starlink satellites out of Vandenberg, California.
Update 11:33 p.m.: As the 45th Weather Squadron predicted, the storms are moving offshore. It remains to be seen if the weather will clear from the booster landing area, which is southeast of Florida.
SpaceX is still targeting 1:02 a.m., yet opportunities exist until 3:31 a.m. if needed.
For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Launch recap: SpaceX rocket launches from Florida after earlier scrub
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