THURSDAY UPDATE: SpaceX launches … After numerous delays beginning on the evening of October 4th the launch took place in the wee hours of Thursday, October 5th.
SpaceX did not give a reason for the delay but high winds are buffeting the area.
The U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron, based at Cape Canaveral, is warning of scattered showers rolling in off the Atlantic and breezy winds. They predict a 50-50 chance of a weather rule violation, with cumulus clouds and liftoff winds being the major concerns.
Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
WEDNESDAY UPDATE: SpaceX is targeting Wednesday, October 4 at 10:45 p.m. ET for a Falcon 9 launch of 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This is the 70th mission of the year.
If needed, four backup opportunities are available starting at 11:38 p.m. ET until 1:57 a.m. ET on Thursday, October 5. Six backup opportunities are also currently available on Thursday, October 5 starting at 10:29 p.m. ET until 1:49 a.m. ET on Friday, October 6.
This is the eighth flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched CRS-26, OneWeb Launch 16, Intelsat IS-40e, and four Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
SpaceX Starlink launches for October currently reveal only one on Wednesday, October 4, at 7:16 PM from SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida. The $67.0 million launch on Falcon 9 will carry a batch of Starlink v2-mini satellites for their second generation high-speed Low Earth Orbit internet satellite constellation.
According to Wikipedia, as of August 2023, Starlink consists of over 5,000 mass-produced small satellites in Low Earth Orbit which communicate with designated ground transceivers providing internet to more than 2 million subscribers.