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After Week-Long Delay, SpaceX Targets Launch Of First Internet Satellite Constellation

SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket stands ready to launch 60 Starlink satellites into orbit. Photo: SpaceX
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket stands ready to launch 60 Starlink satellites into orbit. Photo: SpaceX

SpaceX will attempt to launch 60 satellites on a single rocket Thursday night from Cape Canaveral, an effort to jump into the Internet service provider market.

The launch attempt comes after a week-long delay. Two attempts to launch the fully loaded Falcon 9 were scrubbed -- one attempt due to upper level winds, another was caused by a software issue.

It will be the Falcon 9’s heaviest payload, carrying 60 satellites that will be the first in a fleet of satellites for the private company's global Internet service called Starlink. SpaceX envisions thousands of satellites deployed by dozens of launches blanketing the globe to provide high-speed Internet anywhere.

The launch window opens at 10:30 p.m. and remains open until midnight. Weather forecasters predict favorable conditions.

Be sure to follow WMFE on Facebook for updates and a live stream of the countdown and launch.

Brendan Byrne is Central Florida Public Media's Assistant News Director, managing the day-to-day operations of the newsroom, editing daily news stories, and managing the organization's internship program. Byrne also hosts Central Florida Public Media's weekly radio show and podcast "Are We There Yet?" which explores human space exploration, and the weekly news roundup podcast "The Wrap."