SpaceX plans to send a Falcon 9 carrying another tranche of Starlink satellites to low-earth orbit (LEO) tomorrow from SLC-40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch window opens at 4:59 PM EST and extends until 8:57 PM the same day.

Weather

The 45th Weather Squadron issued their forecast of the Probability of Violation of weather criteria today. They rated the POV at less than five percent, meaning there is a greater than ninety-five percent of acceptable conditions.

Trajectory

Southeast, which is the normal flight path for Group 6 Starlink satellites.

Booster

SpaceX has not announced which booster will be used for this flight at the time of this writing. When that information becomes available, we will add it here.

Landing

Landing will occur on ASDS (Automated Spaceport Drone Ship) A Shortfall of Gravitas, which will be stationed offshore and downrange. After Falcon 9’s booster lands safely aboard the vessel, it will return to Port Canaveral and then to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility at Kennedy Space Center for inspection and presumably refurbishment and preparation for its next flight.

Launch Viewing: Online

SpaceX generally provides live launch coverage starting fifteen minutes prior to launch on their account on the X platform. Click here

Spaceflight Now will provide launch coverage one hour prior to liftoff on their YouTube channel. Click here

Launch Viewing: In Person

Tomorrow’s launch is from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral, which means that the best direct views of liftoff are at either the Banana River Bridge on FL-528 W near Port Canaveral, or the southern parks on US-1 / S. Washington Avenue in Titusville.

Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor’s Center has not offered a specific ticket package for this launch, but the first minute of the launch window is the last minute that the Center is open for the day. No viewing tickets or information has been posted, but check with the KSCVC site for up-to-date information. Admission and parking fees will of course apply if the Center is open for viewing.

Indirect views where the rocket becomes visible after it clears the pad and the trees in the distance are at Jetty Park in Port Canaveral, Playalinda Beach in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge or of course on any of the beaches in the Cape Canaveral / Cocoa Beach area.

Launch viewing at Playalinda may be possible as the Cape Canaveral National Seashore closes at 6 PM EST. If you go there, arriving two hours early is strongly advised, as the National Park Service and KSC Police will close the gates to new entrants once parking lots are full or as liftoff time approaches. Entry fees apply to Jetty Park and Playalinda, consult their websites for the cost and payment methods available.