"All eyes remain fixed on Tropical Depression Nine as it strengthens slowly in the Gulf of Mexico," reads the official forecast issued Wednesday morning by the Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron.
The forecast calls for a 40 percent chance of favorable conditions during a two-hour launch window opening at 3 a.m. Saturday.
Those odds could improve if the storm moves quickly along its predicted path across the northern part of the state, exiting near Jacksonville on Friday morning. But a slower trek would force the countdown to contend with gustier winds and heavy clouds.
"The main weather concern for launch early Saturday morning is liftoff winds, if the storm is slower than forecast, and thick clouds associated with moisture trailing into the storm," according to the forecast.
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| A graphic from the National Hurricane Center shows the position and forecast track of Tropical Depression Nine as of 11 a.m. Wednesday, August 31. (Photo: NHC / NOAA) |
SpaceX hopes to launch its ninth Falcon 9 rocket this year, lofting Israeli company Spacecom's Amos-6 communications satellite on its way to an orbit 22,300 miles over the equator. If the mission does not launch Saturday, the weather is expected to improve early Sunday, when the latest forecast shows a 60 percent chance of acceptable conditions.
If seas are not too rough, SpaceX again plans to try to land the rocket's first stage on a modified barge positioned roughly 400 miles offshore, continuing experimental landings aimed at developing reusable rockets. The company this week announced an agreement with satellite operator SES to re-fly a recovered Falcon 9 booster for the first time, later this year.
Source: Florida Today
Joined Stellar Hub as an editor in the summer of 2016.
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