Updated at 9:15 PM ET: Adjusted to reflect new target launch time.
SpaceX is preparing to achieve a new milestone with a nighttime Starlink mission launch. The flight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station will be the company’s 90th orbital launch in 2023 and the 280th Falcon 9 launch to date.
Launch of the Starlink 6-33 mission is scheduled for 12:07 PM ET (05:07 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40.
Spaceflight Now will provide live coverage of the mission on YouTube starting one hour before liftoff.
While mission-friendly weather is ideal at launch, meteorologists are also keeping an eye on conditions in the downfield. Launch winds are the only focus in a forecast that predicts favorable weather 95% of the time.
“A secondary push of cold air is filtered into the area. [on Wednesday], bringing clear skies and a stronger pressure gradient over the Space Coast,” the launch forecast states. “This will result in stronger surface winds into tomorrow evening, but will gradually weaken through the launch window, so the only concern will be launch winds.”
The forecast also states that upper level wind shear is considered “low to moderate” and is highlighted in the Additional Risk Criteria section.
If the Starlink 6-33 mission lifts off as scheduled, it will be the third fastest time for SpaceX’s flagship launch pad, SLC-40. This mission will be SpaceX’s 159th orbital launch from this pad.
The first stage booster used for launch is tail number 1077 and will be launched on the ninth flight of this mission. Previous notable launches include Crew-5 and GPS 3 Space Vehicle 06.
The drone will land on the ship approximately eight and a half minutes after launch. Please read the instructions. There are 23 satellites on board, and the number of satellites to be launched in 2023 will be a maximum of 1,871.
Reposting an infographic from analytics firm Blythetech, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said the company “aims to launch more than 80 percent of all Earth payloads into orbit this year.” Ta. According to the third quarter report, SpaceX accounted for 26 of the 63 orbital launches worldwide.
Looking deeper, SpaceX has launched far more into space than the rest of the world combined. During the third quarter, the company launched 519 of its spacecraft, while the next closest China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) launched 24 of its spacecraft.
The statistic Musk cited from Blytech is one he likes to talk about: the mass of a spacecraft in orbit. According to this graph, SpaceX launched 381,278 kg into orbit in the third quarter, followed by CASC with 24,560 kg and Roscosmos with 17,475 kg.
Meanwhile, at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, teams continue to work toward a launch that will likely ultimately take off from the pad in 2023. The Falcon Heavy supporting the USSF-52 mission rolled back to an adjacent hangar Tuesday evening. In anticipation of integrating the X-37B spaceplane into a rocket.
The ninth Falcon Heavy launch to date remains targeted for Dec. 10.