Updated at 10:30pm EST: SpaceX has adjusted the T-0’s launch time.
SpaceX is preparing its Falcon 9 first-stage booster for a record-breaking 19th launch just after midnight as the Starlink satellite constellation continues to expand. Takeoff from Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral is currently scheduled for 12:33 a.m. ET (05:33 UTC).
The first stage, B1058, has already been the fleet leader with 18 missions and is poised to solidify its position with the Starlink 6-32 mission, which will carry 23 satellites into orbit. The booster first flew with astronauts in May 2020 on the Demo-2 Crew Dragon mission. This mission still bears his faded NASA “worm” logo.
The rocket failed to lift vertically off the launch pad at approximately 7:35 PM ET (12:35 AM UTC), resulting in a launch time of 11:00 PM ET (4 AM UTC). window opened a little over an hour later. SpaceX said it has backup launch opportunities available until 3 a.m. ET (8 a.m. UTC) Saturday morning.
The 45th Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station announced Thursday that there is a 60 to 70 percent chance of acceptable weather for launch, assuming better conditions are available at the time of window opening. The main concerns were thick cloud layers and violations of cumulus rules.
Spaceflight Now includes: Live broadcast of the launch Starts 1 hour before launch. You can also see the rocket. launchpad live stream.
The first stage of the Falcon 9 will land on the Just Read the Instructions drone ship approximately eight and a half minutes into the flight. Once the rocket’s second stage burns its second time, 23 second-generation Starlink satellites will be placed into orbit, with deployment occurring approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX revealed this week that its Starlink internet service now has 2.3 million users in 70 countries. Launched 5,604 satellites since 2019 According to statistics Edited by Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics who maintains the Spaceflight Database. As of December 20, 5,226 satellites remained in orbit, and 5,191 appeared to be operating normally.