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SpaceX Launches Another Batch of Starlink Satellites
SpaceX is preparing to send another set of its broadband satellites into orbit tonight. A Falcon 9 rocket will carry 23 Starlink internet satellites, with the launch scheduled to take place from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch window opens at 5:52 p.m. EDT (2152 GMT) and will last for approximately three hours.
You can witness the event live through SpaceX’s channel on X, with coverage beginning five minutes prior to the start of the launch window.
Key Details of the Launch
If all goes as planned, the Falcon 9’s first stage is expected to return to Earth for a vertical landing on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas, situated in the Atlantic Ocean, about 8.5 minutes after liftoff. This will mark the eighth launch and landing for this specific booster, as detailed in the SpaceX mission description.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage will deploy the 23 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) approximately 65 minutes after liftoff. This launch represents the 29th Falcon 9 mission of 2024 and the 19th mission aimed at expanding the Starlink megaconstellation. To date, SpaceX has launched a total of 6,054 Starlink satellites, with 5,587 currently operational in LEO, according to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell.
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