SpaceX is gearing up for its 99th operational flight of 2024, set to launch a Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral on Friday night, pending favorable wind conditions.

Current weather forecasts suggest only a 40% chance of suitable launch conditions on Friday, primarily due to wind concerns, although the outlook improves to 60% for Saturday.

The Falcon 9 rocket is slated to launch 20 Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 at 7:31 p.m., with a backup option available on Saturday at 7:06 p.m.

If successful, this mission will add to SpaceX's impressive total of 97 Falcon 9 launches this year, which also includes two Falcon Heavy missions.

This launch will mark the 71st flight from the Space Coast in 2024, just one shy of the record 72 launches achieved in 2023, with SpaceX accounting for all but four of those.

To date in 2024, there have been 53 launches from Cape Canaveral, 18 from Kennedy Space Center, and 33 missions from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Despite the ambitious goal of achieving up to 144 launches in 2024, averaging 12 per month, the pace has slowed this October with only six launches compared to nine in September.

This target has faced hurdles due to various weather and technical issues that have impacted launch schedules.

The upcoming mission will also be notable as it represents the 17th flight of the first-stage booster, which is expected to land on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean.

In addition to its Falcon 9 missions, SpaceX has successfully conducted three test flights of its Starship and Super Heavy rocket at its Boca Chica site, all reaching orbit.