The Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch tonight with another constellation of satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink internet service. Launch from Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is scheduled for 12:05 a.m. EDT (05:05 UTC).
In a forecast released Thursday, the 45th Weather Squadron predicted a 60 percent chance of acceptable conditions for launch. After days of rain and windy weather, skies briefly cleared on Friday and fog rolled in along the Space Coast after sunset. If needed, there will be up to five additional launch opportunities between Friday night and Saturday morning. Last at 2:59 AM ET (0759 UTC).
Space flight now Live broadcast of the launch Departs approximately 1 hour before takeoff. You can also enjoy views of the Cape launch pad 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. launchpad live stream.
Falcon 9 carries 23 second-generation V2 small satellites and will launch from Cape Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 before heading into a southeastern orbit. Approximately two and a half minutes into the flight after stage separation, Booster 1069, which will be making its 11th flight, will be heading toward the drone ship Just Read the Instructions, which will be deployed approximately 420 miles (675 km) below. Arc towards landing. Atlantic Ocean east of the Bahamas.
This will be SpaceX’s 54th Starlink delivery mission in 2023 and the company’s 84th orbital launch this year. If everything goes according to plan, the satellite will be released into orbit one hour and five minutes after launch. SpaceX announced earlier this year that it had signed up more than 2 million subscribers to its Starlink internet service in more than 60 countries.
It’s been a busy weekend for SpaceX, with the second test flight of the new Starship spacecraft scheduled for 7 a.m. Central Standard Time (8 a.m. ET (13 UTC)) and Saturday’s second test flight of the new Starship spacecraft. Twenty-two more Starlink satellites are scheduled to launch that evening from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base. The Starlink 7-7 mission from Space Launch Complex 4E is scheduled for 10:55 PM PT (1:55 AM EST).