Persistant bad weather in the Atlantic Ocean area where SpaceX hopes to recover its rocket is again postponing the fourth launch of its Starlink internet satellites.
Elon Musk's rocket company routinely lands its boosters back to Earth on its drone ship, "Of Course I Still Love You," stationed off the coast of Florida following each launch. But bad weather at the recovery site has now delayed a launch of its Starlink satellites twice.
SpaceX said Thursday that it will move its planned Friday launch to Monday, pending availability at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Earlier this week, SpaceX also postponed the launch because of "extreme weather" in the recovery zone.
Because this payload of 60 Starlink satellites is SpaceX's, the company has room to reschedule launches to ensure it can launch and recover its rocket booster, a key part of its reusability mission.
SpaceX has already sent about 180 Starlink satellites to space since May of last year. The satellites are designed to provide reliable, high-speed internet connectivity, even in remote areas of the globe. SpaceX is expected to ramp up the number of Starlink launches this year to enable it to offer coverage to the northern United States and Canada by the end of the year.
