KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — After numerous postponements, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off Tuesday morning carrying 60 Starlink satellites.
What You Need To Know
- Falcon 9 lifted off at 7:29 a.m. Eastern with Starlink satellites
- COMPLETE COVERAGE: Space News | Rocket Launch Schedule
- SEE BELOW: Re-Watch the launch▼
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/b33QAIP7Mo
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 6, 2020
It was the fifth attempt to get the latest batch of the company's satellites off the launch pad, after several delays due to poor weather conditions either at the launch site or downrange out in the Atlantic.
The Falcon 9 lifted off at 7:29 a.m. EDT from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Minutes later, SpaceX landed the first stage booster on its drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
Ms. Tree caught the fairing half that flew in support of two previous missions! pic.twitter.com/p61bdBrdRP
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 6, 2020
The 60 Starlink internet satellites aboard the Falcon 9 rocket will add to the more than 700 already in space. They will eventually form a large orbital, broadband network that will provide service to underserved areas around the planet.
We are standing down from today's Starlink mission due to weather violations on the Range. The team is setting up for a launch opportunity tomorrow at 7:29 a.m. EDT; weather forecast is 70% favorable for liftoff
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 5, 2020
Weather has scrubbed this mission several times since last month. Last Thursday’s attempt was aborted with just 18 seconds to spare because of a ground-sensor issue.
Over the weekend, poor marine conditions in the drone ship recovery area forced SpaceX to push the launch to Monday.