SpaceX Scrubs Starlink Launch, Shoots For Monday Night Takeoff

Elon Musk’s Space X had to abort its Falcon 9 launch on Sunday night due to technical issues, but now it’s shooting for an 8:15 p.m. takeoff time on Monday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This launch was mainly to set 60 Starlink internet satellites into orbit, which is Space X’s internet service that’s currently in beta testing. If Monday’s takeoff is successful, this would mean there would be 1,100 satellites for the service in low-Earth orbit.

The Falcon 9 aborted its mission with just a little over a minute left in the launch countdown, according to local outlet Florida Today. Starlink missions have to be done in instantaneous windows, so it either must launch on the original time allotted or delay and plan for another day.

At a time when more people are working from home and more students are participating in virtual learning, internet connectivity is more important than ever. With Starlink, we’re able to deploy quickly to areas that need it most.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 1, 2021

The weather for the 8:15 p.m. takeoff is said to be “roughly 70% ‘go’” and its landing destination is on the “Of Course I Still Love You” drone ship.

Starlink WiFi service is for both domestic and international customers and is targeted at those who live in remote areas. Those interested in the service can request to see if they’re in an eligible area through the Starlink website.

Those eligible can choose to go forward with the service at $99 a month and a $499 equipment setup one-time fee.