SpaceX poised to launch 24 Amazon Kuiper satellites following days of climate delays – Spaceflight Now

Update Oct. 13, 7:08 p.m. EDT (2308 UTC): SpaceX pushed again the T-o liftoff time.

After greater than per week of launch delays, SpaceX is getting ready to launch its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station with two dozen of Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband web satellites onboard.

The mission, dubbed Kuiper Falcon 03 or KF-03, confronted a number of days of launch delays resulting from poor climate each on the Cape in addition to offshore. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 is scheduled for 9:58 p.m. EDT (0158 UTC).

Spaceflight Now could have dwell protection starting about an hour previous to liftoff.



On Sunday, the forty fifth Weather Squadron forecast a 95 p.c likelihood for favorable climate through the launch window. However, it continues to undertaking a “moderate” threat for the booster restoration space on a scale of low-moderate-high.

“Winds will slowly veer from the northwest to the north, and low moisture levels will allow for mostly clear skies,” launch climate officers wrote. “This sample will proceed via the backup window on Tuesday night as nicely. Thus, the one concern for each the first and backup launch days is the very low threat of a Cumulus Cloud Rule violation.

“Recovery conditions will continue to be a watch item both days due to elevated winds and seas associated with the low near the landing zone.”

SpaceX will launch this mission utilizing the Falcon 9 first stage booster B1091, which can launch for a second time. The booster, which can finally be used as a Falcon Heavy core booster, beforehand launched the KF-02 mission.

B1091 is ready to carry out an autonomous touchdown on the drone ship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas,’ a bit of greater than eight minutes after liftoff. If profitable, this would be the 138th touchdown on this vessel and the 517th booster touchdown so far.

The Kuiper deployment sequence will start greater than 56 minutes after liftoff and wrap up lower than eight minutes later. It will deliver the satellite tv for pc constellation as much as a complete of 153 in low Earth orbit.

This is the sixth total mission supporting the Kuiper constellation, following three launches onboard United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rockets and two onboard Falcon 9 rockets.