SpaceX aims to launch 29 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Wednesday but may be forced to wait due to poor weather. The Starlink 10-43 mission is scheduled for liftoff at 6:11 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40, but a 30% chance of favorable conditions has raised concerns. The 45th Weather Squadron reported scattered marine showers and mid-level cloud decks could interfere with the launch window.
Meteorologists noted a south-moving cold front is expected to bring tricky weather conditions. "Scattered marine showers will likely scrape the East-Central Florida coastline during the launch window," launch weather officers wrote. Mid-level cloud coverage and surface electric fields are primary concerns, with elevated wave heights and fresh breezes also noted in recovery forecasts.
The Falcon 9 rocket, designated B1090, will be used for the mission. This booster has previously launched NASA’s Crew-10 and CRS-33 missions and will attempt its 12th flight. If the launch proceeds, the rocket will follow a north-easterly trajectory and target a landing on the drone ship 'A Shortfall of Gravitas' in the Atlantic Ocean.
Spaceflight Now will provide live coverage starting an hour before the scheduled launch. The mission aims to add to SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, which currently operates over 10,000 satellites. The Falcon 9 first stage is expected to land approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff.
The weather forecast has prompted SpaceX to monitor conditions closely. If the launch is delayed, the next available window would be Thursday, pending further updates from the 45th Weather Squadron. The outcome could impact the timeline for deploying the 29 broadband internet satellites into low Earth orbit.