SpaceX kicks off Labor Day weekend with return to Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral
A bright Falcon 9 rocket bolted into the Saturday predawn sky, kicking off Labor Day weekend and loudly declaring SpaceX back in business after a brief grounding by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Rumbles sounded throughout the Brevard area as the rocket carried 21 Starlink internet satellites to orbit.
The launch had been pushed to the end of the window, lifting off at 3:43 a.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40.
It had been three days since the Space Coast saw a rocket launch. However, the setback of the failed booster landing on a droneship in the Atlantic and subsequent FAA grounding on Wednesday did not keep SpaceX down for long ? the FAA granting SpaceX permission to launch again Friday afternoon.
"The SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle may return to flight operations while the overall investigation of the anomaly during the Starlink Group 8-6 mission remains open, provided all other license requirements are met. SpaceX made the return to flight request on Aug. 29 and the FAA gave approval on Aug. 30," said the FAA statement provided to FLORIDA TODAY.
Before the Friday announcement, what was left of that booster which caught fire and tipped over upon coming down on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship Wednesday, arrived at Port Canaveral. SpaceX workers quickly got to work clearing the remains off the droneship.
Not only did SpaceX get back to business in Florida. But another Starlink launch lifted off just over an hour afterward from Vandenburg Space Force Base in California.
When is the next Florida launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA rocket launch schedule from Florida
SpaceX return to flight: Impact on Polaris Dawn launch
The big unknown that still remains is the Polaris Dawn launch. As of Saturday morning, the FAA has the launch slated for no earlier than 3:33 a.m. Wednesday morning.
After Polaris Dawn was delayed multiple days due to poor weather forecasts for the splashdown time, SpaceX has yet to provide an official new launch date.
The crew, who will preform the first all-civilian spacewalk, will not be docking with the space station. Freely orbiting the Earth, they are limited on supplies, and must return within a given amount of time.
On Thursday, SpaceX posted to X (formerly Twitter) "Latest forecasts continue to show unfavorable weather conditions in the areas along Florida’s coast where Dragon would splash down upon returning from space. Once teams identify the next best opportunity for launch and return of the Polaris Dawn mission, we’ll provide an update. Falcon 9 and Dragon remain healthy and vertical on the pad at 39A."
The FLORIDA TODAY Space Team will provide the latest updates from Cape Canaveral as soon as they become available.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at [email protected] or on X: @brookeofstars.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX rumbles ring through Brevard, kicking off Labor Day weekend
