Launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 with Turkish satellite from Cape Canaveral

CAPA CANAVERAL, Fla. – After a busy year, SpaceX plans to start 2021 with its first launch as soon as Thursday at Cape Canaveral, sending a Turkish communications satellite.

The space coast hosted more than 30 rocket launches last year and 2021 promises that as SpaceX continues to build its Starlink satellite constellation to provide global internet, launching a new batch of spacecraft with increasing frequency.

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First, a Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch a satellite called Turksat-5A on Thursday night from Cape Canaveral Space Station’s 40th Space Launch Complex between 8:28 and 12:28 p.m.

Turksat is a satellite company based in Turkey. According to Turkish news site AA.com, the broadband satellite will provide television services and expand broadband data to Turkey, the Middle East, southern Europe and parts of Africa.

After launch, the satellite will remain in geostationary orbit for up to 30 years.

The main concern of the weather for the launch window of a Thursday night will be cumulus and thick clouds of medium level, according to the 45th Weather Squadron. If the take-off delay is 24 hours, the conditions improve to 80% favorable, but again cloud cover is the main concern.

SpaceX intends to retrieve the Falcon 9 booster on a drone in the Atlantic Ocean after takeoff. The meteorological risks for the recovery of the booster are low, according to the current forecast.

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