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SpaceX Rocket Launch Forced to Reschedule Due to Weather

SpaceX was set to launch another rocket yesterday evening. Instead, the launch has been rescheduled to later today, January 28. The launch was postponed due to weather conditions. For the most part, the weather was good, but high winds were a concern. The rocket is now set to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 6:11 p.m. today.

The wind was worrisome because it might’ve made it harder for SpaceX to recover Falcon 9. After the first stage booster separates, Falcon 9 is supposed to return to Landing Zone 1 at the station.

As always, the launch will be available to watch via livestream, which will start about 15 minutes before the actual rocket takeoff.

Falcon 9 Is Being Reused a Record Number of Times

This first stage Falcon 9 rocket has been used over and over by SpaceX. In fact, the rocket has flown 10 times in under 600 days.

This is impressive all on its own, but it also speaks to the private space company’s goals. The first rocket to be used 10 times took just over 1,000 days to complete the goal. The next rocket to hit 10 uses took a little under 800 days. Clearly, their processes and turnaround times are becoming more efficient. For this first stage Falcon 9 rocket, it takes about two months to get ready to launch. That time is just for recalibrating the rocket.

SpaceX Has Sent Thousands of Satellites to Space

Elon Musk’s private space company has been hard at work, tackling lots of space records. One such record is how many satellites SpaceX has sent off into space. Recently, the company celebrated launching 2,000 satellites. Earlier this month, the company launched 49 satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket. They’re usually launched in batches of 50 or so. When we think of satellites, we probably imagine giant machines. However, most of the satellites used by SpaceX are about the size of a table. Overall, SpaceX has launched 2,042 satellites since the beginning of 2018.

However, many of these satellites are no longer being used by the company. Some of them have simply failed, while others have been decommissioned by SpaceX. Elon Musk provided some specifics on how many satellites are actually being used today. “1469 Starlink satellites active 272 moving to operational orbits Laser links activate soon,” he said.

SpaceX tries to launch satellites every couple of weeks at least. This is a part of a bigger goal. Eventually, the company hopes to have launched a total of 42,000 satellites. They’re launching all of these satellites for a reason, of course. SpaceX’s Starlink hopes to provide internet service to people all over. This includes rural areas. As of right now, the fast and affordable internet service is available in 23 different countries. That number is only set to increase as SpaceX launches more and more tech.