Despite a pessimistic weather forecast, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 carrying the Starlink 10-2 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station this afternoon at 01:15 PM EDT, at the opening of a nearly four-hour launch window.

Around 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the first-stage booster used for the mission, tail number B1078, touched down safely on ASDS ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’, stationed downrange in the Atlantic Ocean east of the Carolinas. B1078 has now flown eleven successful missions. ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ will now return to Port Canaveral, where the booster will be unloaded, transported to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility at Kennedy Space Center and prepared for its next flight after inspection and refurbishment.

Launch Replay

Payload

Today’s payload was another 22 Starlink satellites that will join SpaceX’s constellation in low-Earth orbit. Over 1,000 of these satellites have been launched this year alone. There are well over 6,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, providing Internet connectivity to the company’s customers.

Booster B1078

According to SpaceX, the booster used for Starlink 10-2 previously launched “Crew-6, mPOWER-B, USSF-124, and seven Starlink missions” and will be on its eleventh mission overall. That’s Booster B1078.

B1078 last flew May 28, 2024, twenty-six days ago.

Booster B1078
Flight Number	Payload	Date
1	Crew-6	March 2, 2023
2	O3b mPOWER 3 & 4	April 28, 2023
3	Starlink 6-4	June 4, 2023
4	Starlink 6-8	August 7, 2023
5	Starlink 6-16	September 16, 2023
6	Starlink 6-31	December 3, 2023
7	USSF-124	February 14, 2024
8	Starlink 6-46	March 25, 2024
9	Starlink 6-53	April 23, 2024
10	Starlink 6-60	May 28, 2024
11	Starlink 10-2	June 23, 2024

Next Launch

SpaceX and NASA plan to launch the GOES-U weather satellite for NOAA late Tuesday, June 25, 2024 aboard a Falcon Heavy.

• Date: NET June 25, 2024
• Organization: NASA / SpaceX
• Mission: GOES-U
• Rocket: Falcon Heavy
• Launch Site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center
• Launch Window: 05:16 – 07:16 PM EDT
• Payload: GOES-U weather satellite

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