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Waterspout off Florida coast delays SpaceX rocket launch from Cape Canaveral

By Emilee Speck
Published  September 5, 2024 2:02pm EDT
Florida
FOX Weather

Tampa Weather | Another day, more storms

FOX 13 meteorologist Jim Weber is tracking more storms that are expected Thursday afternoon.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Florida's weather can be thorny for launch providers attempting to get a rocket off the ground. On Thursday, stormy conditions, including a waterspout, delayed a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch by a few hours.

SpaceX was first planning to launch 21 Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Wednesday, but rough seas in the Atlantic would have prevented the rocket booster from safely landing on the company's drone ship. SpaceX opted to delay the launch to Thursday morning.

A waterspout seen off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida on the morning of Sept. 5, 2024 around the same time SpaceX was attempting to launch a Falcon 9 rocket. (Photo courtesy: 45th Weather Squadron, U.S. Space Force)

Around 7:15 a.m., the National Weather Service in Melbourne issued a Special Marine Warning for the waters off the coast of Brevard and Volusia counties, which includes Cape Canaveral. The warning said a waterspout was observed, and boaters were told to seek safe harbor. 

The FOX Forecast Center found the radar signature of the waterspout around 7:20 a.m. ET. A photo taken by the U.S. Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron shows a waterspout off the coast of Cape Canaveral around the same time.

A waterspout seen off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida on the morning of Sept. 5, 2024 around the same time SpaceX was attempting to launch a Falcon 9 rocket.

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    Waterspouts are vortices that form over bodies of water, unlike tornadoes, which form over land. Waterspouts can form in fair weather conditions associated with warm water temperatures and high humidity. 

    The radar near Cape Canaveral around 7:45 a.m. on Sept. 5, 2024 when a waterspout was spotted off shore.

    SpaceX has more flexibility when launching Starlink satellites because they are the company's own payload. The countdown was reset, and SpaceX successfully launched the mission at 11:33 a.m. ET after the weather cleared. The rocket could be seen moving above the cloud-covered sky in Florida in the late morning.

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    SpaceX said the launch marked the first-stage booster's 15th flight. Previous missions included an astronaut launch and a cargo supply mission to the International Space Station.

    The booster landed on the Just Read The Instructions droneship in the Atlantic Ocean about 8 minutes after liftoff. 

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