SpaceX faces four consecutive scrubbed launches for Starlink 4-34 due to weather!

When SpaceX B-1067 was brand new it first flew for NASA on CRS-22 (a resupply to the ISS) liftoff was on June 3rd 2021 see photos below. Since then it flew a total of four NASA missions CRS-22 Crew 3 Crew 4 CRS-25  and one commercial mission for Turksat5B satellite for a current total of five missions.

The sixth flight and its first Starlink mission 4-34 has kept it earth bound through four consecutive scrub attempts since Tuesday night all for bad spacecoast weather due to this persistent stalled frontal boundary filled with moisture and electricity.

The United States Space Force Delta 45 range officer has not allowed a launch for precipitation, lightning, thick clouds and electrical field in the cloud layers directly above the SLC-40 launch pad in all four of these past attempts.

A short recap:

Tuesday 13th mission 10:10 PM scrubbed, Wednesday 14th mission 9:48 PM scrubbed, Thursday 15th mission 9:27 PM scrubbed fully fueled and yesterday Friday 16th 9:05 mission scrubbed fully fueled.

Today’s Saturday 17th 8:43 PM has been given an 80% No Go for launch due to weather violations over the range by the Space Force 45th weather squadron. Sundays September 18th back up launch attempt has a 60% No Go weather prediction.

Foe all the above reasons and SpaceX continued persistence to launch this mission for five consecutive days has made this a very difficult launch to cover. Wishing all of SpaceX personnel a break in the weather for a successful launch and the drone ship support teams a safe return home to Cape Canaveral who have been on station in the Atlantic ocean for over a week now.

Article & Photos by Scott Schilke for spacenews.lu and space-news.es