SPACEX STARLINK SATELLITE LAUNCH OF 2021 DELAYED – BUT READY FOR TAKE OFF

SpaceX has delayed their first Starlink launch of 2021 due to experiencing bad weather.

The Falcon 9 rocket, holding 60 Starlink satellites, was scheduled for blast-off on Monday at 8:45am from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. However, SpaceX revealed that "unfavourable weather conditions in the recovery area" prevented the launch.

The launch was rescheduled for Tuesday. However, due to the same circumstances, the launch is now set for Wednesday at 8:02am. SpaceX revealed that this is "to allow additional time for pre-launch inspections."

The rocket's first stage will peel off and land on the "Just Read the Instructions" recovery drone ship, once it has left the Earth's atmosphere. The Falcon 9 rockets are known for their reusability, and this particular one has blasted off into orbit seven times before.

One of the Falcon 9's recent launch was December 13, 2020, where it took SiriusXM's new radio satellite into orbit. The Falcon 9's six other missions include four Starlink missions, the RADARSAT Constellation Mission in June 2019, and the Crew Dragon's first mission in March 2019. 

SpaceX has sent the 17th batch of Starlink satellites to space, intending to provide global broadband coverage from up to 42,000 satellites. Thus far, the aerospace company has more than 1,000 internet satellites in orbit.

SpaceX has already begun testing its space-based internet service through its "Better Than Nothing Beta". This is underway in the US, southern Canada, and parts of Europe. Some users have reported that they receive an internet speed of more than 200 megabits per second.

Regulators in the UK have given the green light to Starlink, and some users have already received their beta kits.