File: A Falcon 9 rocket stands ready to launch a Starlink mission. Image: SpaceX
Update 12:45 a.m. EST: SpaceX scrubs the Starlink mission Tuesday night.
Poor weather proved insurmountable for the third time for SpaceX this week. After its first two attempts to launch a Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral supporting NASA’s PACE mission were scuttled, on Tuesday evening, SpaceX had to stand down from launching a batch of Starlink satellites from California.
Launch teams for the Starlink 7-13 mission got down to the final minute of the countdown before calling a scrub. The next available launch opportunity is Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 5:17 p.m. PST (8:17 p.m. EST, 0117 UTC).
The Falcon 9 first stage booster for this launch, tail number B1071, will be making its 14th flight. It most recently supported the Starlink 7-8 launch on Dec. 8, 2023.
About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1071 will land on the SpaceX droneship, “Of Course I Still Love You,’ which is staged out in the Pacific Ocean. If successful, this will be the 82nd landing on OCISLY and the 211th droneship landing.
The mission was announced hours after strong ground winds forced SpaceX and NASA to stand down from attempting to launch NASA’s PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. That launch is now pushed back to 1:33 a.m. EST (0633 UTC) on Thursday, Feb. 8.
If the Starlink 7-13 launch is successful Wednesday night, these will be the most current stats:
14th launch & landing of B1071
65th SpaceX launch from SLC-4E
133rd orbital launch from SLC-4E
296th Falcon 9 launch
82nd landing on OCISLY
270th Falcon 9 booster landing
5th orbital launch from California in 2024
11th SpaceX launch in 2024
25th orbital launch in 2024