CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — A chance of storms is a concern for Sunday’s SpaceX launch of a Spanish company’s communications satellite, according to weather experts.
What you need to know
- Weather experts are looking to see if a system will push back Sunday night’s launch
- SpaceX will launch HISPASAT’s Amazonas Nexus satellite
- 🔻Scroll down to watch the launch🔻
The Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch HISPASAT’s Amazonas Nexus mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 as its launch window opens at 5:32 p.m. EST.
If there is a delay, the next launch opportunity will be on Monday, February 6 at the same time, SpaceX said.
However, there may be a delay in Sunday’s launch.
“With a storm system developing for the Cape today, rain will be the main issue facing the launch at the launch complex. Even if the weather holds up at the Cape, recovery will be tricky if the missile returns to a ship in the Atlantic. And that weather is likely to scrub the launch. It is highly likely that the launch will be pushed back until tomorrow,” Spectrum News 13 meteorologist Zachary Covey said Sunday morning.
For Sunday’s launch, the 45th Weather Squadron gave a “70 -> 45%” chance of good launch weather on Saturday.
The 45th Weather Squadron is monitoring a cold front that could disrupt Sunday’s launch.
What this means is that showers and storms could develop into the afternoon Sunday morning, the 45th Weather Squadron stated, which could lead to “a greater likelihood of violations at the start of the (launch) window, the main concern being the Cumulus Cloud Rule , the thick cloud rule and the disturbed weather rule.”
When the launch takes place, the first stage booster B1073 will be the one to get the job done. It has successfully completed five launches:
The first stage booster is expected to land on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions which is in the Atlantic Ocean.
Mañana, por fin, lanzamos nuestro #AmazonasNexus, después de tantos meses proyectando, trabajando, ensamblando y controlando exhaustivamente paso a paso su fabricación, ¡Toca lanzarlo!
¡Estamos muy emocionados! Read more: https://t.co/FPDzAk3IVg #Nexusiscoming #AMZNXS pic.twitter.com/pClV5qVuOO
— HISPASAT (@Hispasat) February 4, 2023
About the mission
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Amazonas Nexus satellite mission upwards. Spain-based company HISPASAT is a satellite communications provider that provides TV, mobile and Internet access and services.
The company stated that the satellite will be sent to geostationary orbit to begin a journey that will take more than six months to its final orbital position at 61º west.
Once there, it will replace the company’s Amazonas 2 satellite and expand its capacity.
“The Amazon Nexus will cover the entire Americas, Greenland, and the North and South Atlantic corridors and will focus on connectivity services in remote areas and in air and maritime mobility environments. This satellite heralds a new era for the services provided by HISPASAT, as it is equipped with a state-of-the-art Digital Transparent Processor (DTP) that allows it to increase its geographic flexibility in case of changes in the commercial scenarios initially proposed,” said HISPASAT in a press release announcing the launch.
Watch the launch