SpaceX launch: Watch live stream as Elon Musk sends internet satellites into space

The Starlink mission could revolutionise the way we connect to the internet, which could be from any place on the planet

SpaceX will make a second attempt to launch 60 internet satellites aboard its Falcon 9 rocket after the original launch was cancelled due to bad weather.

The launch is the first part of Elon Musk's Starlink project, which aims to provide high-speed internet access to anyone on Earth through a network of thousands of satellites.

High-altitude winds on Wednesday night forced SpaceX to postpone the original launch from Florida's Cape Canaveral, with the new launch rescheduled for 10.30pm local time (3.30am BST) on Thursday, 16 May.

SpaceX is live streaming the launch on its website, through its official YouTube channel, and at the bottom of this page.

A one and a half hour launch window gives some flexibility in case of further adverse weather conditions, though if it is not successful it will likely be rescheduled for later this month.

SpaceX will also attempt to land the Falcon 9 on a floating platform positioned off the Florida coast in the Atlantic Ocean.

The 60 Starlink satellites onboard the rocket will deploy just over an hour after liftoff at an altitude of 440km. They will then use self propulsion to launch into orbit at around 550km.

The payload will form the first part of a constellation of nearly 12,000 satellites that SpaceX claim will beam internet coverage to all parts of the planet.

Images of the first 60 satellites packed into the nose cone of the Falcon 9 rocket were shared on Twitter by Mr Musk, though he warned that there may be issues with the first batch.

He tweeted: "Much will likely go wrong on first mission. Also, six more launches of 60 satellites nneded for minor coverage, 12 for moderate."

SpaceX plans to launch 60 internet satellites aboard its Falcon 9 rocket (SpaceX)

Further details were shared in a call with reporters ahead of the original launch, during which Mr Musk said it would take a minimum of 1,000 satellites for the system to be economically viable.

"If we are putting a lot more satellites than that in orbit, that's a very good thing," he said. "It means there is a lot of demand for the system."

SpaceX is not the only company aiming to provide space-based internet, with Amazon among the rivals working on a project to provide high-speed broadband from a network of low Earth orbit satellites.

The stream of the Starlink launch will go live approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled launch time.