SpaceX Falcon 9 launches with Turkish satellite from Cape Canaveral

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – After a very busy year, SpaceX plans to kick off 2021 with the first launch on Thursday from Cape Canaveral, broadcasting a Turkish communications satellite.

The Space Coast hosted more than 30 rocket launches last year and 2021 promises to surpass that as SpaceX continues to build its Starlink satellite constellation to provide global internet, launching a new line of spacecraft with increasing frequency.

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First, a Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch a satellite called Turksat-5A from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Space Launch Complex 40 Thursday night between 8:28 pm and 12:28 am Friday.

Turksat is a satellite company based in Turkey. According to Turkish news site AA.com, the broadband satellite will provide television services and expand broadband data for Turkey, the Middle East, Southern Europe and part of Africa.

After launch, the satellite will remain in geostationary orbit for up to 30 years.

According to the 45th Weather Squadron, the main weather issues ahead of Thursday night’s launch window are cumulus clouds and thick mid-level clouds. Should the launch be delayed by 24 hours, conditions improve to 80% favorably, but again cloud cover is the primary concern.

SpaceX plans to restore the Falcon 9 booster after launch on a droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. Weather risks for stimulating recovery are low according to the current forecast.

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