After two scrubs, SpaceX knocks out Cape Canaveral launch

SpaceX managed on Thursday to get off a Starlink launch from Cape Canaveral after scrubbing the launch twice earlier in the week.

A Falcon 9 carrying 23 of the internet satellites lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 3:19 p.m. EST under cloudy skies.

Weather, though, was not a concern, unlike the dicey conditions one day earlier at both the launch site and the booster recovery area. SpaceX stood down from that attempt without giving a reason. A Sunday attempt was scrubbed after ground systems providing helium to the first stage were insufficient at the pad.

The first-stage booster successfully completed its third flight and made a recovery landing in the Atlantic on the droneship Just Read the Instructions.

This was the 76th launch of the year from the Space Coast from all launch providers, with SpaceX responsible for all but five sent up by United Launch Alliance.

The 75th took off from neighboring Kennedy Space Center on Monday night with the SpaceX CRS-31 resupply mission to the International Space Station.

It also marks the 201st Starlink mission for Elon Musk’s company, which has launched more than 7,200 of the satellites for its growing constellation.

And it’s the 401st launch for SpaceX among Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets since the first in 2010.

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