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SpaceX teams at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida are preparing for the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the next batch of Starlink internet satellites. The launch is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, August 16, with a four-hour launch window starting at 8:14 p.m. EDT.

The weather conditions for the launch are currently at a 20% “go” at the opening of the window, but are expected to improve to 65% by the end. The rocket will follow a southeasterly trajectory between Florida and the Bahamas.

If the launch proceeds as planned, it will be the 42nd launch on the Space Coast in Florida this year. Unlike previous missions, there will be no local sonic booms associated with this launch.

The first-stage booster of the Falcon 9 rocket will attempt a landing on a drone ship about eight minutes after liftoff. Following this launch, the next Falcon 9 mission is scheduled to send NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station.

The crew is set to launch on August 25 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. This mission will involve NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov on a six-month science mission.

SpaceX may also schedule another Falcon 9 Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral, but specific launch dates have not been announced yet.

Stay updated on the latest launch schedules and coverage by visiting floridatoday.com/launchschedule.

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