SpaceX postpones the launch of rocket carrying an Italian satellite because to adverse weather

For the second day in a row, Mother Nature has prevented a SpaceX launch.

The Cosmo-SkyMed Second Generation FM2 (CSG-2) satellite was supposed to launch from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday evening (Jan. 27), but thick clouds and strong winds prompted a 24-hour delay.

Today’s (Jan. 28) effort was again cancelled due to terrible weather, so it’s now a 48-hour push.

During a livestream of today’s launch attempt, SpaceX production manager Jessie Anderson remarked, “We were hopeful that weather conditions were going to improve for liftoff, but unfortunately we are standing down from today’s attempt.” “The vehicle and the payload remain in good health, and our next launch opportunity is tomorrow at 6:11 p.m. Eastern time.”

You may watch Saturday’s (Jan. 29) attempt live on Space.com or directly via SpaceX, which will involve a landing of the Falcon 9’s first stage at Cape Canaveral immediately after liftoff. The webcasts for SpaceX usually begin 15 to 20 minutes before liftoff.

According to a forecast from the US Space Force’s Delta 45 group, there’s an 80 percent likelihood of good weather at Cape Canaveral on Saturday, with the only worries being winds at liftoff and upper-level wind shear.

The Italian Space Agency, the Italian Ministry of Defense, and the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities, and Scientific Research collaborated on Cosmo-SkyMed Second Generation. The system consists of two satellites that use synthetic aperture radar to study the Earth (SAR).

The first of these satellites was launched on an Arianespace Soyuz rocket in December 2019. CSG-1 is a spacecraft that orbits Earth in a sun-synchronous polar orbit at an altitude of 385 miles (620 kilometers). When CSG-2 lifts off from the ground, it will follow in the footsteps of CSG-1.