Falcon 9 rises off of the launch pad at Space Launch Complex 40 and into hazy skies on September 5, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
SpaceX launched the Starlink 8-11 mission into hazy skies with storms looming in the distance late this morning aboard Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Liftoff was at 11:33 AM EDT, with Booster B1077 completing its fifteenth mission successfully 8:22 minutes later when it touched down offshore east of Charleston, SC, on ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions.’ At about the same time, the second stage achieved its initial orbit.
At 12:38 PM EDT, SpaceX confirmed satellite deployment and the conclusion of another successful launch for the company.
Falcon 9 nearing the speed of sound as it rose into the Florida skies on September 5, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Payload
According to SpaceX, tonight’s payload was “21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit.” That Direct to Cell service will initially be available on T-Mobile, and will be deployed at some point in the future.
Launch Replay
Next Launch
Rumors around the Space Coast are whispering that Polaris Dawn may finally launch after being grounded by uncertain weather in the landing zones at the conclusion of the mission, but there has been no official statement from either SpaceX or the Polaris Dawn team that this is the case.
Given that the current seven-day outlook for tropical activity in the Gulf of Mexico and near the eastern Florida coast has five potential development areas, those rumors do not seem accurate. Even if no tropical storm spins up, the sea states for a capsule return and landing might be dicy, and mission managers are not likely to take unnecessary risks for a crewed mission.
The September 5, 2024 Seven Day Tropical Outlook shows five areas of concern for storm development. Graphic: NOAA / National Weather Service
Assuming that Polaris Dawn does not launch in the next few days, the next mission on the Eastern Range will be the BlueBird Block 1 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral on September 12.
Date: NET September 12, 2024
Organization: SpaceX / AST SpaceMobile
Mission: BlueBird Block 1
Rocket: Falcon 9
Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
A Starlink launch from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
SpaceX plans to launch Falcon 9 tomorrow from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral, carrying another group of Starlink satellites. According to SpaceX, “Liftoff is targeted for 8:35 a.m. ET, with additional opportunities available until 12:31 p.m. ET.”
The launch was initially scheduled for September 4th, but it was called off with about two minutes left in the countdown due to weather offshore, where the booster was slated to land.
Booster B1077 will be making its fifteenth flight on this mission. It has been in service since October 5, 2022, when it launched the Crew-5 mission, and last flew on July 28, when it flew Starlink 10-4. Landing will be offshore on ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions.’ There will be no sonic boom in the Space Coast region.
At A Glance
Mission: Starlink 8-11
Date: NET September 5, 2024
Launch Window: 08:35 AM – 12:31 PM EDT*
Weather: 70% GO
Organization: SpaceX
Rocket: Falcon 9
Trajectory: Northeast
Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Booster Landing: ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions’
The payload for the mission is another group of Starlink satellites, which will join Group 8 of SpaceX/Starlink’s orbital constellation in low-Earth orbit. Starlink is an Internet service serving approximately 3.2 million customers in over 100 countries and territories globally.
Weather
The 45th Weather Squadron has called for a 30% Probability of Violation both Wednesday and Thursday, with the usual summer concerns: Cumulus Clouds and Anvil Clouds in the vicinity of the flight path of Falcon 9.
The forecast notes below that it has been rather wet and rainy the past few days on the Space Coast. That may be a cause for concern both Wednesday and Thursday as the conditions causing the rains will persist.
Trajectory
Tomorrow’s launch will take a familiar path: northeastwards. All Starlink Group 8 satellites have used the same trajectory, as have many other Starlink groups as SpaceX continues to add to the Starlink constellation.
SpaceX will have a livestream of the launch on their website: Starlink 8-11. This will also be available on the X platform. Coverage starts about fifteen minutes before liftoff.
Spaceflight Now will have coverage of the launch starting about one hour before liftoff on Youtube: link
For official updates regarding launch times, SpaceX.com is the best source of information. Starlink launch times change from time to time, and the company generally updates their website within minutes of the decision to change the launch time. This is very handy if none of the streaming options on YouTube have started their broadcasts.
Remember that there is a delay between a launch stream and the actual countdown clock. That is simply because of physics: it takes time for the signal to travel from the launch site, through the Internet, and back down to your phone, resulting in a five to fifteen-second delay.
Next Space Flight an app for iOS and Android phones, has a real-time countdown clock that is accurate to a second, give or take. The app is free. Search the App Store or Google Play. They are also on the web: nextspaceflight.com.
Launch Viewing: In Person
Since the launch is during the daytime, a lot of options are available for spectators: Jetty Park, the Banana River Bridge on FL 528 W or the southern Titusville parks on Washington Avenue / US-1 are your best bets.
Cocoa Beach or the Cocoa Beach Pier area is also very good, but ignition won’t be visible and it will take several seconds for the rocket to clear obstructions between the launch pad and viewers.
At this time, it does not appear that Kennedy Space Center Visitors Center is selling add-on tickets for the launch, but if the launch time is pushed backwards from the opening of the launch window at 08:59 AM EDT, visitors may be able to watch from the bleachers at the Banana Creek Viewing Site, located outside the Apollo/Saturn V Center at KSC. If you are interested in this option, it’s highly recommended that you call KSCVC to ensure that they will be offering launch viewing with a standard entry ticket.
SpaceX got right back to business early Saturday morning as it launched the Starlink 8-10 mission aboard Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
SpaceX Starlink 8-10’s ascent as seen from Veteran’s Memorial Park in Titusville. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
SpaceX got right back to business early Saturday morning as it launched the Starlink 8-10 mission aboard Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Liftoff was at 03:43 AM EDT, with Booster B1085 completing its first mission successfully 8:22 minutes later when it touched down offshore on ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions.’ At 5:06 AM, SpaceX confirmed satellite deployment and the conclusion of another successful launch for the company.
Deployment of 21 @Starlink satellites launched from pad 40 in Florida confirmed
According to SpaceX, tonight’s payload was “21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit.”
Starlink now has approximately 6300 active satellites in its expanding constellation, which serves over three million customers in over 100 countries and territories globally.
Launch Replay
Next Launch
This one is tricky: Polaris Dawn is vertical at LC-39A and is awaiting good weather prior to its start. SpaceX nor the Polaris Dawn program have announced the date for the next launch attempt, but one may be forthcoming at any time.
Otherwise, if Polaris Dawn does not launch by mid-week next week, SpaceX has the Starlink 8-11 mission penciled in for Wednesday, September 4th with a launch window between 08:59 AM and 12:59 AM EDT.
Starlink 8-10, close to Main Engine Cutoff on August 31, 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
A Falcon 9 launching from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral in July 2024 Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
The Federal Aviation Administration has cleared SpaceX to resume Falcon 9 launches:
The SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle may return to flight operations while the overall investigation of the anomaly during the Starlink Group 8-6 mission remains open, provided all other license requirements are met. SpaceX made the return to flight request on Aug. 29 and the FAA gave approval on Aug. 30.
The FAA
Shortly after the FAA made its announcement, the Space Force also made an announcement, seen at left:
US Space Force: “Tomorrow morning, SLD 45 will support the Falcon 9 Starlink 8-10 launch. The launch window opens Aug. 31 at 01:39 EDT (05:39 UTC). T-0 may vary.”
Polaris Dawn?
The crewed Polaris Dawn mission is currently on the launch pad at LC-39A waiting for improvements in the weather offshore in the abort zones. An official launch date has yet to be given for the twice-delayed mission.
There are several space schedule websites calling for a launch at 03:38 AM EDT Sunday, September 1st, but there has been no announcement of that being the case either by SpaceX or the Polaris Dawn team. Stay tuned.
Polaris Dawn, a fully-private commercial crew mission that plans to be the highest-orbiting crewed mission as well as conducting the first private spacewalk is on the launch pad and awaiting improved weather prior to launching.
The crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center earlier this week and are now in final preparations for their upcoming flight aboard a Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon.
These are photos taken prior to the launch of Falcon 9 and the start of the mission.
The crew of Polaris Dawn looks at their ride to space at LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center on August 25. Photo: John Kraus / Polaris Dawn
The four crew members of Polaris Dawn are in the final parts of mission preparation at Kennedy Space Center today, and readying themselves for the planned liftoff of their mission overnight Tuesday morning.
All four are incredibly accomplished, successful, and results-driven; their curriculum vitae (Latin for “course of life”) shows that vividly.
Here’s a brief look at their paths to the launch pad:
Jared Isaacman, Mission Commander
Jared Isaacman, seen August 25th during rehearsal of launch day activities at Kennedy Space Center Photo: John Kraus / Polaris Dawn
Born in 1983 in New Jersey, Jared Isaacman began taking flying lessons in 2005. In 2008 and 2009, he set world records for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe. In 2011, he received a Bachelor’s degree in professional aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Isaacman is the CEO of Shift4, a leading payments processing company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and is the founder of Draken International, a company that provides contract air services using tactical fighter aircraft. Draken’s customers include the Department of Defense and the defense industry.
While in the Air Force, Poteet’s roles included a stint as commanding officer of the 64th Aggressor Squadron, a storied unit started in World War II that now primarily support the USAF Weapons School.
After the Air Force, Poteet worked for Draken Interntional and then Shift4 before he began training full time for the Polaris Dawn flight.
Poteet was a mission director in the 2021 for Inspiration 4. This will be his first flight to space.
Sarah Gillis, Mission Specialist
Sarah Gillis, as seen August 25th during the rehearsal of launch day activities at Kennedy Space Center Photo: John Kraus / Polaris Dawn
A familiar face to many space supporters, Sarah Gillis works for SpaceX as the Lead Space Operations engineer for the company, and she is often seen in documentaries and broadcasts of SpaceX’s crewed launch activities. She is often seen the Netflix documentary “Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space,” where she she helped train the crew for their upcoming flight and also during the activities in space.
From Boulder Colorado, Ms. Gillis says that, “Growing up in a family of artists and musicians, I can’t say I grew up dreaming of being an engineer (or even knowing what engineering was). Rather, I fell into it when I discovered there was a profession entirely dedicated to creative problem solving, and have been hooked ever since.”
Gillis holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado. This will be her first space flight.
Anna Menon, Mission Specialist and Medical Officer
Anna Menon, as seen August 25th during the rehearsal of launch day activities at Kennedy Space Center Photo: John Kraus / Polaris Dawn
From Houston, Texas, Anna Menon also works for SpaceX as the Lead Space Operations Engineer. In her role, she manages the development of crew operations and serves in mission control as both a Mission Director and crew communicator.
She has led the implementation of Dragon’s crew capabilities, helped create the crew communicator operator role, and developed critical operational responses to vehicle emergencies such as a fire or cabin depressurization. Anna served in mission control during multiple Dragon missions, such as Demo-2, Crew-1, CRS-22, CRS-23, Crew-3, Crew-4, and Axiom-1.
Menon is a NASA veteran, woking seven years at the agency as a biomedical flight controller for the International Space Station.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and also Spanish from TCU (Texas Christian University) as well as a master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University.
This will also be her first spaceflight.
Polaris Dawn is scheduled to launch Tuesday, August 27th. SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, August 27 at 3:38 a.m. ET for Falcon 9’s launch from Launch Complex 39A SpaceX adds that there are two additional launch opportunities within the four-hour window at 5:23 a.m. ET and 7:09 a.m. ET. If needed, backup opportunities are available on Wednesday, August 28 at the same times.
A Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon lifts off from LC-39A Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
Note: Biographies were prepared in part with information from the Polaris Dawn website.
SpaceX Falcon 9 launches from Space Launch Complex 40 at 09:20 AM EDT on August 20, 2024. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
SpaceX launched another tranche of Starlink satellites to orbit this morning from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40.
Liftoff was at 09:20 AM EDT, with Booster B1085 completing its first mission successfully 8:14 minutes later when it touched down offshore on ASDS ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’
B0185, whose maiden flight was originally slated for Crew 9, was moved up in SpaceX’s rotation to prove in the booster due to some water intrusion while it was being shipped from the company’s McGregor, Texas facilities. The flight was nominal, and the booster will not be returned to Port Canaveral and ultimately SpaceX’s ‘Hangar X’ facility where it will be inspected and refurbished with an eye towards using it for the Crew 9 flight late next month.
The second stage continued to orbit nominally, with SpaceX reporting several successful second stage burns that optimized the orbit for payload deployment.
Payload deploy of 22 @Starlink satellites confirmed
23 Starlink satellites. They will join Group 10 of SpaceX’s burgeoning Starlink’s constellation of Internet communication satellites. That service is used by over 3.1 million users in over 100 countries and territories worldwide.
Launch Replay
Next Launch
SpaceX will launch another group of Starlink satellites early in the morning on Friday from Space Launch Complex 40.
Date: NET August 23, 2024
Organization: SpaceX
Mission: Starlink 8-6
Rocket: Falcon 9
Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Launch Window: 03:46 – 07:46 AM EDT
Payload: Starlink telecommunication satellites
Falcon 9 left two “smoke rings” as it ascended this morning. This one was the first. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of TitusvilleFalcon 9 left a pair of “smoke rings” as it cruised through the clouds over Cape Canaveral this morning. Photo: Charles Boyer, Talk of Titusville
Falcon 9 lifts off of Space Launch Complex 40 on August 15, 2024 carrying the Worldview 3 and Worldview 4 Earth-imaging satellites for Maxar. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
On a humid, hazy and thoroughly typical August morning in central Florida, SpaceX launched the WorldView 3 and WorldView 4 Earth-imaging satellites owned and operated by Maxar Corporation.
Liftoff was at the opening of the launch window at 09:00 AM EDT, with Booster B1076 completing its 16th mission successfully 7:48 minutes later when it touched down at Landing Zone 1, about six miles from where it had launched only minutes before. Moments later, a pair of sonic booms sounded the booster’s return.
Booster B1076 settling in to land after launching WorldView 3 and WorldView 4 from SLC-40. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
The second stage continued to orbit nominally, with SpaceX reporting several successful second stage burns that optimized the orbit for payload deployment.
Payload
Two Maxar WorldView Earth-observation satellites.
Graphic via Maxar
Launch Replay
Next Launch
It will be a quiet weekend at the Cape as no launches are scheduled until next Tuesday, August 20th when SpaceX will launch another tranche of Starlink satellites aboard Falcon 9. The launch will be from Space Launch Complex 40 and the window opens at 05:20 AM EDT.
Date: NET August 20, 2024
Organization: SpaceX
Mission: Starlink 10-5
Rocket: Falcon 9
Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Launch Window: 05:20 – 09:20 AM EDT
Payload: Starlink telecommunication satellites
Falcon 9 just before Max-Q (the point of the atmosphere’s highest resistance) today over Florida. Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville
You must be logged in to post a comment.