SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 tonight from Pad SLC-40 at Cape CAnaveral Space Force Station and sent another twenty-three Starlink satellites to orbit. Liftoff occurred at 09:22 PM EDT on a crisp, clear spring evening on the Space Coast.

Crowds were heavier than normal along the usual spectator spots, and no one left disappointed — long after staging and for almost seven minutes the second stage could be seen rising and building orbital speed.

As one man said to someone beside me, “Enjoy this, [it] won’t be long until the air is thick and hot as soup.” He’s right. If anything, Friday’s weather was one of the last of Florida spring weather: cool, but not cold with pinpoint stars and crescent moon lighting the sky. It won’t be long until humidity rises and the nightly costal front storms will be a concern for mission managers and launch spectators alike.

Booster Touches Down Safely Near Bahamas

About eight and a half minutes after liftoff, Booster B1062 touched down safely on SpaceX’s A Shortfall of Gravitas automated droneship located offshore in the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas, completing its 20th mission safely.

After returning to Port Canaveral several days from now, B1062 will be returned to SpaceX’s facilities at Hangar X at Kennedy Space Center, where it will be inspected, refurbished, and presumably prepared for its next flight. If it reaches the launch pad, it will be for the 21st time.

Booster B1062 Record

Flight	Mission	Date
1	GPS III SV04 Sacagawea	11/05/2020
2	GPS III SV05 Neil Armstrong	06/17/2021
3	Inspiration 4	09/16/2021
4	Starlink 4-5	01/06/2022
5	Axiom-1	04/08/2022
6	Starlink 4-16	04/29/2022
7	Nilesat-301	06/08/2022
8	Starlink 4-25	07/24/2022
9	Starlink 4-27	08/19/2022
10	Starlink 4-36	10/20/2022
11	Starlink 5-1	12/28/2022
12	Starlink 5-4	02/12/2023
13	OneWeb 17	03/09/2023
14	ArabSat 7B	05/27/2023
15	Starlink 6-7	07/28/2023
16	Starlink 6-23	10/18/2023
17	Starlink 6-30	11/28/2023
18	Starlink 6-38	01/29/2024
19	Starlink 6-44	03/15/2024
20	Starlink 6-49	04/12/2024

Payload

Tonight’s mission delivered 23 Starlink satellites to join other Group 6 satellites.

Next Launch

• Date: NET April 17, 2024
• Organization: SpaceX
• Mission: Starlink 6-51
• Rocket: Falcon 9
• Launch Site: SLC -40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
• Launch Time: 05:24 PM – 09:55 PM EDT (Tentative and subject to change)
• Payload: 23 Starink Satellites

Keep in mind that launch dates and times change often. Launch attempts can be scrubbed at any time due to weather, technical reasons or range conditions.