SpaceX to launch 2 rockets back-to-back with Starlink satellites

It looks like the stars won’t align for SpaceX after all.

The company planned to launch two batches of Starlink satellites on Thursday morning, but now one of those launches is being delayed until Friday.

The first launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Launch Complex 40 with a batch of Starlink satellites heading for low Earth orbit will still take place Thursday at 1:19 a.m. as scheduled.

According to the 45th Weather Squadron, there is a 90% chance of favorable launch weather. This marks the 18th batch of Starlink satellites to be sent into orbit as SpaceX creates a global network of spacecraft that supplies the world with the Internet.

About five hours later, SpaceX was scheduled to launch satellites in reverse for the 17th Starlink mission, but that launch has been delayed from 5:36 a.m. Thursday to 5:14 a.m. Friday to allow pre-launch checks.

There is an approximately 30% chance of violating weather conditions, the main concern being the take-off winds.

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The ambitious launch timeline has always been subject to change, like most launches.

The US Space Force’s 45th Space Wing said it had approved both SpaceX launches for Thursday, and if it happened, it would be the first time since 1966 to have two launches from Florida on the same day.

“Those previous missions were Gemini 12 and Atlas Agena coming 99 minutes apart,” the 45th Space Wing tweeted ahead of the recast announcement. “The two Falcons will take off less than 5 hours apart.”

SpaceX is now scheduled to launch the batch of satellites marked 17th after 18th.

Weather or other issues can always delay one or both launches. Both missions have been rescheduled a few times this week.

SpaceX offers Starlink Internet in select areas in the US and Canada with plans to expand this year. These upcoming launches will bring the company’s constellation above 1,000 spacecraft in orbit.