SpaceX scrubs launch attempt, now targeting start of Memorial Day weekend

Update: Liftoff of Falcon 9 at 12:30 a.m. EDT! After a flight to the east and landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean, the rocket's second stage continued on to deliver Arabsat's BADR-8 satellite to Earth orbit.

Inclement weather forced SpaceX to stand down from a second attempt at launching a communications satellite from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station late Wednesday, making way for teams to try again just before Memorial Day weekend.

Originally set to fly during a two-hour window that opened at 11:25 p.m. EDT, managers opted to delay the mission due to weather conditions around the Cape and to allow more time for pre-launch checkouts, the company said via Twitter. The next two-hour window to fly will open at 11:25 p.m. EDT Friday, May 26.

An updated forecast issued by the Space Force showed 40% "go" conditions for Friday night's attempt. An area of low pressure is expected to bring those less-than-ideal conditions to the Space Coast.

"The low’s position will bring breezy northerly winds, along with bands of scattered coastal showers," Space Launch Delta 45 forecasters said Thursday. "As a result, the main concerns will be the cumulus cloud rule and the (potential for lightning) associated with these showers."

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If the launch is delayed to the backup window Saturday night, conditions are expected to improve significantly to 80% "go."

Space Coast residents and spectators won't hear sonic booms during this mission. After liftoff and a flight toward the east, the rocket's 162-foot first stage will target a drone ship landing in the Atlantic Ocean. That will mark its 14th flight to date.

Packed in the 230-foot rocket's payload fairing is BADR-8, a commercial communications satellite for Saudi Arabia-based Arabsat. The spacecraft was built by Airbus.

For the latest, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.

Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @EmreKelly.