TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — SpaceX is preparing to launch two Falcon 9 rockets from central Florida on Sunday, just hours apart from each other.
As the remnants of post-tropical cyclone Arlene drift eastward, both launches face the chance of being delayed or scrubbed.
The first launch was scheduled for 8:20 a.m. at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Falcon 9 carried 22 Starlink satellites into space before returning to Earth and landing on the Just Read the Instructions drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
As of Saturday evening, the launch has a 50% chance of being postponed due to weather. If that happens, there will be additional launch opportunities on Sunday at 6:46 a.m. and 7:36 a.m. Backup opportunities are also available Monday at 5:44 a.m., 6:23 a.m. and 8:04 a.m., according to the SpaceX website.
The second launch was rescheduled for 11:47 a.m. EDT Monday at Kennedy Space Center. The mission was originally set for Saturday, but it was delayed after forecasters predicted just a 30% chance of favorable weather conditions.
In SpaceX’s 28th resupply mission, Falcon 9 will carry the Dragon capsule to space. From there, Dragon will separate and continue on to the International Space Station (ISS). The rocket will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean, about eight minutes after takeoff.
The resupply mission will carry several experiments to the ISS, including one that will help meteorologists understand how thunderstorms develop. Researchers will observe storms from above to study electrical activity that can’t be seen from the ground. Specifically, a recently-discovered phenomenon where blue flashes above thunderstorms appear to shoot up into space.
“Eventually, this will help improve our forecasting models and give you a better forecast from day-to-day,” Max Defender 8 Meteorologist Amanda Holly said.
If the resupply mission launches at its scheduled time, Dragon will dock at the ISS at approximately 6:15 a.m. on Tuesday.
Both of Sunday’s launches will be streamed live on WFLA.com and the free News Channel 8 app.