Launch recap: Live updates from the Starlink 6-83 mission which launched at 1:02 a.m. on May 13 from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A.
Original Story: After a scrub early this morning, SpaceX crews will try again tonight to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center — but will springtime clouds and precipitation pose a threat yet again?
SpaceX is now targeting 1:02 a.m. to launch the Falcon 9 from pad 39A to deploy a payload of 28 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit. Backup liftoff opportunities are available beyond midnight through 3:31 a.m. Tuesday, if needed.
The Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron only predicted a 50% chance of “go for launch” early during this four-hour window, citing cumulus clouds and surface electric fields. However, those odds of favorable weather jump to 90% “with quick improvement for the remainder of the window.”
After soaring along a southeasterly trajectory, the rocket’s first-stage booster will target landing aboard a SpaceX drone ship out at sea about eight minutes after liftoff.
Watch Falcon 9 launch 28 @Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida https://t.co/QtVSxqap45
SpaceX Falcon 9 booster lands
Update 1:10 a.m.: The Falcon 9 first-stage booster just landed aboard SpaceX’s drone ship Just Read the Instructions out on the Atlantic Ocean, completing its 28th mission.
Fleet leading Falcon booster completes its 28th launch and landing pic.twitter.com/HWbwWvcVWC
SpaceX Liftoff!
Update 1:02 a.m.: The Falcon 9 rocket has left KSC Pad 39A!
SpaceX launch webcast begins
Update 12:56 a.m.: SpaceX’s launch webcast hosted on X (formerly Twitter) is now posted above, right below the countdown clock.
Liftoff is scheduled in six minutes from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A.
We are 10 minutes from tonight’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch!
Update 12:52 a.m.: T-10 minutes! Head outside if you plan on catching this launch! If you have clear skies, it will be hard to miss the bright rocket rising into the sky.
SpaceX launch countdown timeline
Update 12:42 a.m.: Here’s a behind-the-scenes rundown of SpaceX’s countdown timeline. T-minus:
SpaceX Falcon 9 fueling now underway
Update 12:30 a.m.: Visual cues indicate Falcon 9 fueling procedures are now underway at KSC Pad 39A, though SpaceX has yet to make an official announcement.
That means tonight’s Starlink mission is now locked in to lift off at 1:02 a.m. without any countdown delays, or else the launch must be postponed.
SpaceX booster to set further record
Update 12:22 a.m.: It will be a record-breaking 28th flight for the first-stage booster. Previous flights include: 16 Starlink missions, CRS-22, NASA’s Crew-3, Turksat 5B, NASA’s Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, O3B mPOWER-A, PSN SATRIA, Telkomsat Merah Putih 2, Galileo L13, and Koreasat-6A.
Eight-and-a-half minutes after launch, the booster will land on the Just Read the Instructions drone ship, which will be waiting out on the Atlantic Ocean.
A look at the Axiom spacesuit for moon mission
Update 12:15 a.m.: SpaceX is still targeting 1:02 a.m. for tonight’s liftoff.
Meanwhile, Axiom Space has provided a look at the spacesuit which astronauts will wear on the lunar surface during the Artemis III mission, which is set for no earlier than mid-2027. ESA astronaut, Matthias Maurer, recently got to test out the new lunar spacesuit.
Thanks for visiting @astro_matthias! Matthias got a firsthand look at the spacesuit that will return humans to the Moon. Fun fact: Matthias is the first @ESA astronaut to test out our next-generation spacesuit, the #AxEMU. pic.twitter.com/jWMt2fJfJo
NASA looking for Moon Mascot
Update 12:05 a.m.: NASA is seeking public input on the design of the zero-g indicator for the Artemis II mission. Artemis II is set to fly a crew of four around the moon no earlier than Spring 2026.
At 3 p.m. ET today, NASA experts will go live on Twitch to live-sketch a zero-g indicator.
Help design a Moon Mascot for our Artemis II mission!
NASA experts will be streaming on @Twitch on Tuesday, May 13, to live-sketch a zero gravity indicator based on your suggestions—and to share how you can take part in the plushie design challenge: https://t.co/dSEqAB9cCW pic.twitter.com/PeKjslbxfI
SpaceX preparing for Starship Flight 9
Update 11:55 p.m.: While the previous two Starship launches from Texas did not go as smooth as SpaceX planned, the company is finally moving toward Flight 9.
SpaceX has posted video footage of the Starship for Flight 9 being transported for pre-launch testing in Texas.
SpaceX has not yet provided an official launch date for the massive rocket’s ninth test flight.
Starship transported for testing ahead of Flight 9 at Starbase pic.twitter.com/HvNjq7naE2
SpaceX launches Coast to Coast
Update 11:45 p.m.: Tonight’s Florida SpaceX launch isn’t the only one for the company. Earlier this evening, SpaceX launched 26 Starlink satellites out of Vandenberg, California.
Deployment of 26 @Starlink satellites confirmed
SpaceX rocket launch weather update
Update 11:33 p.m.: As the 45th Weather Squadron predicted, the storms are moving offshore. It remains to be seen if the weather will clear from the booster landing area, which is southeast of Florida.
SpaceX is still targeting 1:02 a.m., yet opportunities exist until 3:31 a.m. if needed.
The weather is finally moving off the Florida Coast. SpaceX is targeting 1:02 a.m. to launch the Starlink 6-83 mission from KSC 39A. pic.twitter.com/yXURsZjfFb
For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Launch recap: SpaceX rocket launches after scrub from Kennedy Space Center
Reporting by Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards, Florida Today / Florida Today
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