While most of the world stood still during the coronavirus pandemic, Elon Musk and his SpaceX ploughed ahead with some several high profile launches into space. The company is now gearing up to send its 10th batch of Starlink micro-satellites this year into orbit onboard its Falcon 9 rocket on Thursday, September 3.
The launch was originally expected for September 1, but poor weather conditions at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the launch was scheduled, forced Mr Musk and co to delay lift-off.
SpaceX has now scheduled the launch for 13.46 BST (8.46am EDT) from the Florida centre on Thursday, September 3.
SpaceX said on Twitter: “Now targeting Thursday, September 3 at 8.46am EDT for launch of Starlink from Launch Complex 39A, pending Range acceptance — team is using additional time for data review.”
Mr Musk’s company will be showing a livestream of the launch on its YouTube channel, with proceedings kicking off shortly before launch.
Onboard the Falcon 9 rocket, which will attempt to land on a pad in the Atlantic ocean following the mission, will be 60 Starlink satellites which will be deployed once the rocket reaches an altitude of 550 kilometres, joining the other 600-plus Starlink satellites already up there.
Starlink is SpaceX’s ambitious yet controversial plan to launch 12,000 satellites into Earth’s orbit, with the aim of supplying internet to every corner of the globe.
The first of the 12,000 satellites were launched in May 2019, and month by month Elon Musk’s firm has steadily been increasing its numbers in the skies.
Mr Musk has said Starlink needs to have about 800 satellites in orbit before it can begin to roll out initial services.
READ MORE: SpaceX delay: When will next batch of Starlink satellites launch?
SpaceX also tested its Starship rocket with a 150-metre “hop” on August 5.
Mr Musk has previously said: “This is one of the other critical pieces of the puzzle to establish a base on the moon or Mars.
“I think we should do our very best to become a multi-planet species and we should do it now.”
Starship will take humans across the solar system, and be able to return them to Earth.
It will first be used to ferry humans to the Moon, and eventually Mars when the time comes.