SpaceX is set to launch new Project Kuiper satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Thursday for its 100th mission this year.
This operation will be the fourth launch of the Kuiper project. The rocket will launch 24 satellites into orbit, bringing the total number of satellites in the constellation to 102. Upon completion of this mission, the total number of spacecraft is expected to exceed 3,200.
The launch window will open at 10:01 a.m. EDT and will last 27 minutes. The chances of good weather for launch are 80%. However, there are concerns about clouds that may form in the late morning hours.
“A combination of coastal flow, increased low-level moisture and warm temperatures will encourage early cloud formation. Isolated or scattered showers are expected to begin in the late morning and continue into the early evening,” a meteorologist at the launch site said.
The rocket will be equipped with a new first stage booster B1091.
This will be the second of three Falcon 9 rockets Amazon has purchased to launch into orbit; the company has not yet said when the third will launch.
The satellites will be deployed approximately 56 minutes after launch for 7.5 minutes.
Sourse: www.upi.com
