SpaceX Launches 29 Starlink Satellites Despite Poor Weather Forecast at Cape Canaveral
SpaceX successfully launched its Starlink 6-98 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 1:08 p.m. ET on Wednesday, sending 29 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit. The launch window opened at 1:01 p.m.
ET and closed at 5:01 p.m. ET, despite the 45th Weather Squadron predicting only a 40% chance of favorable conditions due to thick cloud layers. This marks the 13th flight for the Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1085, which previously supported significant missions, including crewed flights to the International Space Station.
After stage separation, the booster successfully landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. With this launch, SpaceX has deployed nearly 11,000 Starlink satellites since 2019, with approximately 9,500 operational. Future launches include the Starlink 6-100 mission scheduled for Sunday.
