SpaceX targeting Thursday night for Cape’s 33rd rocket launch of 2024

May 3, 2024

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Editor’s note: SpaceX announced that the target liftoff time is 9:49 p.m. EDT Thursday.

Original story: After pulling off a weekend rocket launch doubleheader, SpaceX is targeting Thursday night for its next Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, navigational warnings show.

Per the Federal Aviation Administration and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, SpaceX’s Starlink 6-55 mission window will open at 9:17 p.m. EDT Thursday and extend to 1:48 a.m. Friday.

The Falcon 9 will fly on a southeasterly trajectory and send a batch of Starlink internet-beaming satellites into low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 40. No Central Florida sonic booms are expected.

For FLORIDA TODAY Space Team live coverage, visit floridatoday.com/space about 90 minutes before liftoff.

Cape Canaveral: Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA, ULA rocket launch schedule in Florida

The National Weather Service forecast for Thursday night calls for mostly clear skies, a low around 69 and southeast wind of 5 to 10 mph at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Looking ahead to Monday, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is scheduled to make its maiden flight test voyage with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams aboard at 10:34 p.m. Monday. Their United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket will lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station en route to the International Space Station.

Thursday’s Starlink 6-55 mission stands to become the 33rd orbital launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s neighboring Kennedy Space Center through the first four months of 2024.

If that pace holds, the Cape could see 99 launches this year — blowing out the annual record of 72 set last year.

SpaceX rockets account for 30 of the 32 launches thus far this year. ULA launched the other two rockets: the first Vulcan on its Jan. 8 certification mission and the last Delta IV Heavy rocket April 9 on the NROL-70 mission.

Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1

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