Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT
Another day, another Starlink launch from SpaceX, or so it seems lately. The company is regularly launching new batches of of the Internet service providing satellites, with a new set going up every few days on the average.
Averages can be a bit deceiving, of course, as is the case today: there was a Starlink launch late yesterday afternoon from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center, and today, just over twenty-four hours later, SpaceX is planning to send another 23 satellites to orbit from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch window opens at 6:40 PM EDT and runs to 11:11 PM.
Today’s launch will be the 18th launch from SLC-40 this year, the 41st of the year overall from SpaceX, and could mark the 300th Falcon family booster landing. The pace and of course the number of booster landings is remarkable, and the company is making orbital spaceflight seem routine. It never is, of course, and the fact that SpaceX is making it seem as “easy” as they are testifies to their hard work and dedication.
Weather
As they did yesterday, the 45th Weather Squadron has forecasted a 10% Probability of Violation, meaning there is a 90% chance of acceptable weather during the launch window. Their primary concern is the Thick Clouds rule.
Trajectory
Southeast. If you are looking towards the ocean, the rocket will appear to travel left to right as it heads towards space.
Landing
Landing is planned to be on the autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ (ASOG) which is stationed in the Atlantic Ocean northeast of the Bahamas.
After the landing, ASOG will return to Port Canaveral with the booster. It will then be returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility on Roberts Road inside Kennedy Space Center for inspection, refurbishment and preparation for its next mission.
Booster: B1080
SpaceX stated on their website that “This is the seventh flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched ESA Euclid, Ax-2, Ax-3, CRS-30, and two Starlink missions.”
That’s Booster B1080. It’s last flight was 28 days ago, on March 21st when it launched CRS-30 to the International Space Station.
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT
| Booster B1080 | ||
| Flight Number | Mission | Date |
| 1 | Axiom-2 | May 21, 2023 |
| 2 | Euclid | July 1, 2023 |
| 3 | Starlink 6-11 | August 27 2023 |
| 4 | Starlink 6-24 | October 22, 2023 |
| 5 | Axiom-3 | January 18, 2024 |
| 6 | CRS-30 | March 21, 2024 |
Online Viewing
A live webcast of this mission will begin on SpaceX’s X account feed about five minutes prior to liftoff.
Watch live on X.
SpaceX’s official web page has links to live coverage as well as up-to-date planned launch times. Starlink 6-52 Mission Page.
Spaceflight Now will begin its live launch feed one hour prior to liftoff.
SFN on Youtube.
Watching In Person
This evening’s planned launch is from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral, which means that the best direct views of liftoff are: the Banana River Bridge on FL-528 W near Port Canaveral, or the southern parks on US-1 / S. Washington Avenue in Titusville. Kennedy Point Park and Rotary Riverview Park (among others) are your best bets for free viewing sites.
If you would like to enjoy food and drinks during the launch, you have several options in the Titusville area:
- Shiloh’s Steak and Seafood (3665 S Washington Ave, Titusville, FL 32780)
- Casual fine dining, with an outdoor deck overlooking the Indian River and launch pads beyond that.
- New York New York (5401 Riveredge Dr, Titusville, FL 32780)
- A local’s go-to for a casual tiki bar on the riverfront without a lot of fuss, but with a very friendly staff. Their kitchen closes at 6:30 PM EDT, so if you’d like to have dinner, get there before 6 PM or so.
- The Space Bar (6245 Riverfront Center Boulevard, Titusville, FL 32780)
- On top of the Courtyard by Marriott just off of Kennedy Parkway, the Space Bar has an elevated view of the launch pad as well as food and drinks available. TSB is run by the same company that operates the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center and is across the bridge from KSCVC.
Cocoa Beach, Cocoa Beach Pier, Jetty Park Pier will have indirect views, meaning that liftoff will not be visible, but after the rocket clears the pad and any ground obstructions, you will be able to see Falcon 9 ascending clearly assuming there are no clouds between you and the rocket. Jetty Park does charge admission and they do not accept cash — visit their web site to purchase an entry pass before you go.
Being that the launch is in the early evening, if you plan to attend in person, don’t forget mosquito spray. Also be prepared for potential changes in the launch schedule, and keep up by monitoring the live stream links mentioned above.