SpaceX weathered lightning in the area until skies cleared early this evening, allowing the company to launch the Turksat-6A mission aboard a Falcon 9. Originally scheduled for 5:20 PM EDT, liftoff was delayed several times until 7:30 PM when the afternoon’s storms were far away enough to allow the rocket to safely ascend towards orbit.
SpaceX is planning to launch a Falcon 9 carrying a Turkish telecommunications satellite later Monday afternoon from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, weather permitting. The launch window opens at 05:20 PM EDT and extends over four hours to 09:43 PM EDT Monday.
The launch will be SpaceX’s 71st launch of 2024, and its 34th launch from Space Launch Complex 40 this year. Overall, it will 382nd SpaceX launch all time.
The payload for this mission is a domestically produced telecommunications satellite, Türksat 6A. Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğle stated that the Türksat 6A communication satellite was produced with a local production rate of nearly 90 percent. In May, he said, “We produced our Türksat 6A satellite locally and nationally. While producing this, we assigned Türksat’s engineers to the construction of TÜRKSAT 3A, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B satellites, trained them and included them in the production programs.”
It will be placed in a geosynchronous orbit positioned at 42° East with an expected service lifetime of at least fifteen years once it reaches its operational location and is tested and commissioned.
Türksat 6A will service Türksat’s normal customer base as well as adding four new countries with the new Türksat 6A. “Currently, with our satellites, we cover Europe, the Middle East, the Turkish Republics and a part of the Far East,” Uraloğle said. “We are already selling this service to the geographies I mentioned. There will be additional income by selling this communication service and exporting services to the new 4 countries.” he said.
According to the 45th Weather Squadron, chances are high for a weather violation on the launch range creating a delay. Their forecast calls for a 70% likelihood of a weather violation, leaving only a 30% chance of acceptable weather.
In their July 7th launch discussion, the 45th states, “For both Monday and Tuesday, [a frontal] ridge is expected to shift south of the spaceport, bringing weak southwesterly winds and coastal afternoon thunderstorms to the Cape. Some of these storms may produce 40 mph or greater winds. Convective activity should taper off after sunset, but steering winds are expected to be weak, possibly extending any weather violations that occur.”
Eastward. Falcon 9 will appear to be flying nearly straight out to see for spectators facing the Atlantic Ocean at launch time.
Landing is expected to be out at sea aboard one of SpaceX’s Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ships.
SpaceCoastLaunchCalendar.com will have a livestream of the launch if you’re not able to watch the launch in person: Livestream
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 their live coverage as well as up-to-date planned launch times.
Spaceflight Now will begin its live launch feed one hour prior to liftoff.
SFN on Youtube.
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 Launch 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.
This morning’s planned launch is from SLC-40, on the south side of the Eastern Range (KSC and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station combined.) The southern parks in Titusville on Washington Avenue and FL-528/A1A in Cape Canaveral are the best spots to watch liftoff directly.
Given the early hours of the launch window (7:30AM – 11:30AM EDT) these restaurants may not be open for launch viewing. Later in the day, all three may well be, so if you are interested, be sure to call ahead to make sure they’ll be ready to serve you.
There are several excellent viewing spots for SLC-40 launches that offer indirect views — meaning you won’t see the rocket until it clears obstructions such as trees, buildings, even a storm berm in one case.
Playalinda Beach out on the Cape Canaveral National Seashore will be open to spectators until 8 PM EDT, that is if KSC Security and the National Park Service allow viewers for the launch. It opens to visitors at 6 AM.
Call ahead to be sure.
Cape Canaveral National Seashore • Playalinda Beach
Phone: (386) 428-3384 x0
Current operating hours: 6:00 AM–8:00 PM
If you are going to Playalinda, and if it is open, remember these general tips. Some may not apply to this particular launch.
Be prepared for potential changes or pushbacks in the launch schedule, and keep up by monitoring the live stream links mentioned above.
Keep up with launch news and other space events that affect the local area by subscribing to alerts when we publish a new article by entering your email at the link at the bottom of this page, or by visiting Space Talk here on the website. It’s free, and you can cancel at any time.
This is currently on display at Kennedy Space Center Visitors’ Center.
Florida weather can be a capricious, fickle thing, and that’s just what it has been the past few days on the Space Coast: windy, occasional rain, or sometimes both — weather that’s normal for this time of year but not very good for launching rockets. That caused two scrubs for SpaceX this week, due to high winds at Cape Canaveral.
Today, on the third attemt, the winds abated and the storms stayed far enough away for SpaceX to launch Falcon 9 carrying the Astra 1P / SES-24 television satellite to orbit. Liftoff was at the opening of the launch window at 5:35 PM EDT and roughly eight-and-a-half minutes later, Booster B1080 touched down safely aboard ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions’ in the Atlantic Ocean, completing its mission for the day. At 6:10 PM EDT, SpaceX confirmed successful deployment of the payload, marking another successful mission for the launch services company. Astra 1P will now move under its own power to geosynchronous orbit, where it will begin its commissioning process.
About forty-five minutes before today’s scheduled liftoff, SpaceX announced that they were scrubbing for the day and would try to launch Falcon 9 tomorrow morning:
SpaceX added on their website later that, “Liftoff is targeted for 7:30 a.m. ET, with opportunities available until 11:28 a.m. ET.”
Updated added 3pm May 27, 2024
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SpaceX has set the launch of another 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit aboard a Falcon 9 Monday morning from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. According to the company, “Liftoff is targeted for 7:30 a.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 11:30 a.m. ET. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Tuesday, May 28 starting at 7:30 a.m. ET.”
The booster used for the mission will land downrange on the droneship Automated Spaceport Drone Ship ‘Just Read The Instructions’, which will be on station northeast of The Bahamas. Since the mission is not a Return To Launch Site mission, there won’t be any sonic boom on the Space Coast.
23 Starlink satellites, to be used in SpaceX’s orbital-based Internet service.
They are manufactured at SpaceX’s Starlink manufacturing facility in Redmond, Washington, are estimated to weigh 750-800 kg apiece and are about 3.0 meters (9.84 feet) long and 1.3 meters (3.94 feet) wide at liftoff. When a Starlink Mini V2 extends its solar panels, it is an estimated 98.5 feet in diameter.
Weather for the launch is again highly favorable, with 95% chances of acceptable weather in the start of the launch window, and slightly degrading to “only” 90% acceptable later in the day. If for some reason the launch doesn’t happen on Monday, the planned backup window is also good, but night quite as good as Monday: opening at a 90% chance of favorable range conditions, as Tuesday morning progresses, cumulus clouds drop the chances of acceptable weather at 85%.
In short, chances are very good that weather will not be a limiting factor for this mission.
The National Weather Center forecasts that roughly 10% of the sky will be covered by clouds during the launch window.
These estimates are hit-or-miss and in any case are highly local, but are interesting if you are planning to view the launch in person.
Falcon 9 will take a southeasterly direction tonight towards The Bahamas, as is customary for all Group 6 Starlink missions. Spectators looking toward the Atlantic Ocean from shore will see the rocket flying left to right.
Given that the flight is immediately offshore with no return to launch site, there will be no sonic boom from the launch on the Space Coast.
According to SpaceX’s Starlink 6-60 Mission page, “This is the 10th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-6, SES O3b mPOWER, USSF-124, and six Starlink missions.”
That’s Booster B078, which last flew late last month on the Starlink 6-53 mission.
| 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 |
There are key events in the countdown that you may hear called out in launch coverage.
Remember that once Propellant Loading (T-minus thirty-eight minutes) starts, Falcon 9 is committed to the launch attempt. Because of the nature of the cryogenic fuels used to power the rockets, any hold precludes a later launch attempt the same day. While it only rarely happens, there have been occasions where that has happened, and a launch scrub is called for the day’s attempt.
SpaceX provides the following countdown milestones on their mission information page:
| Hours:Minutes:Seconds | Event |
| 00:38:00 | SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load |
| 00:35:00 | RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins |
| 00:35:00 | 1st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins |
| 00:16:00 | 2nd stage LOX loading begins |
| 00:07:00 | Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch |
| 00:01:00 | Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks |
| 00:01:00 | Propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins |
| 00:00:45 | SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch |
| 00:00:03 | Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start |
| 00:00:00 | Falcon 9 liftoff |
SpaceX has published a timeline of expected events during the mission:
| Hours:Minutes:Seconds | Event |
| 00:00:00 | Liftoff |
| 00:01:11 | Max-Q (Moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket) |
| 00:02:26 | 1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO) |
| 00:02:30 | 1st and 2nd stages separate |
| 00:02:36 | 2nd stage engine starts (SES-1) |
| 00:02:56 | Fairing deployment |
| 00:06:09 | 1st stage entry burn begins |
| 00:06:33 | 1st stage entry burn ends |
| 00:07:59 | 1st stage landing burn begins |
| 00:08:22 | 1st stage landing |
| 00:08:41 | 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1) |
| 00:54:08 | 2nd stage engine starts (SES-2) |
| 00:54:10 | 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-2) |
| 01:05:17 | Starlink satellites deploy |
All events up to the end of the 1st stage entry burn should be visible for launch spectators watching the launch in person, so long as clouds are not blocking the viewer’s line of sight. Fairing separation is generally only visible during daytime launches and then only using advanced optics like high-powered binoculars or a super-telephoto lens (500mm+).
SpaceCoastLaunchCalendar.com will have a livestream of the launch if you’re not able to watch the launch in person: Livestream
SpaceX will have a livestream of the launch on their website: Starlink 6-60 This will also be available on the X platform. Coverage starts about five 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.
Space Launch Schedule, 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.
This morning’s planned launch is from SLC-40, on the south side of the Eastern Range (KSC and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station combined.) The southern parks in Titusville on Washington Avenue and FL-528/A1A in Cape Canaveral are the best spots to watch liftoff directly.
Given the early hours of the launch window (7:30AM – 11:30AM EDT) these restaurants may not be open for launch viewing. Later in the day, all three may well be, so if you are interested, be sure to call ahead to make sure they’ll be ready to serve you.
There are several excellent viewing spots for SLC-40 launches that offer indirect views — meaning you won’t see the rocket until it clears obstructions such as trees, buildings, even a storm berm in one case.
Playalinda Beach out on the Cape Canaveral National Seashore will be open to spectators, that is, if KSC Security and the National Park Service allow viewers for the launch. It opens to visitors at 6 AM.
This varies from launch to launch, but as a general rule, they have allowed spectators to watch Starlink launches from the beach. A now-dwindling brush fire near Beach Road may affect Playalinda plans, so call ahead to be sure.
Cape Canaveral National Seashore • Playalinda Beach
Phone: (386) 428-3384 x0
Current operating hours: 6:00 AM–8:00 PM
If you are going to Playalinda, and if it is open, remember these general tips. Some may not apply to this particular launch.
Be prepared for potential changes or pushbacks in the launch schedule, and keep up by monitoring the live stream links mentioned above.
Keep up with launch news and other space events that affect the local area by subscribing to alerts when we publish a new article by entering your email at the link at the bottom of this page, or by visiting Space Talk here on the website. It’s free, and you can cancel at any time.
SpaceX launched another 23 Starlink V2 Mini satellites to orbit tonight from Kennedy Space Center, right at the end of the planned launch window. Liftoff was at 10:45 PM EDT from Pad LC-39A.
Booster B1077 completed its 13th mission successfully after it touched down on the droneship ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions’ northeast of The Bahamas about 8.25 minutes after liftoff. JRTI will return to Port Canaveral after a few days, and the booster will be returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X at Kennedy Space Center for inspection, refurbishment and preparation for its next flight.
Full launch story is here.
Beneath a full moon this evening, SpaceX launched another twenty-three Starlink Mini V2 satellites to orbit after successfully launching the Starlink 6-62 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station this evening.
Liftoff was at 10:35 PM EDT. Around 8.3 minutes after liftoff, the first-stage booster used for the mission, tail number B1080, touched down safely on ASDS ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’, stationed downrange in the Atlantic Ocean. After landing, B1080 has now flown eight times.
Lather, rinse, repeat: SpaceX plans to launch another Starlink Group 6 mission early this evening from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. The launch window opens at 6:45 PM EDT and extends until10:45 PM EDT the same day.
Update: SpaceX now has “Liftoff targeted for 10:13 p.m. ET. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Friday, May 24, starting at 6:26 p.m. ET.”
The booster used for the mission will land downrange on the droneship ASDS ‘Just Read The Instructions’, which is stationed northeast of The Bahamas, so there won’t be any sonic boom on the Space Coast tonight.
23 Starlink satellites, to be used in SpaceX’s orbital-based Internet service. They are manufactured at SpaceX’s Starlink manufacturing facility in Redmond, Washington, are estimated to weigh 750-800 kg apiece and are about 3.0 meters (9.84 feet) long and 1.3 meters (3.94 feet) wide at liftoff. When a Starlink Mini V2 extends its solar panels, it is an estimated 98.5 feet in diameter.
Each Starlink satellite is equipped with a Argon-fueled Hall-effect thruster (HET) for maneuverability. Once the satellite’s useful lifetime concludes, SpaceX commands it to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere, where it burns up safely and leaves no space junk behind.
According to SpaceX each HET has the following specifications:
There are now around 6.000 Starlink satellites in orbit, with as many as 30,000 planned when SpaceX completes the Starlink network.
SpaceX recently announced that it has three million subscribers worldwide in nearly one hundred countries. This follows its announcement of 2.7 million subscribers in April, clearly showing that the service is growing rapidly.
Just like last night’s forecast for Starlink 6-62, weather is about as good as it gets this time of year on the Space Coast: the 45th Weather Squadron of the US Space Force has forecast only a 5% chance of a weather-related range violation (POV), meaning that they expect a 95% chance for acceptable weather through the launch window. In the event of a scrub or launch delay, tomorrow, conditions are slightly less favorable, with a 90% percent chance of favorable conditions and a 10% Probability of Violation.
The National Weather Center forecasts that roughly 5-15% of the sky will be covered by clouds during the launch window. These estimates are often somewhat pessimistic, can be hit-or-miss and in any case are highly local, but are interesting if you are planning to view the launch in person.
The bottom line is that this evening’s launch should not have many clouds interrupting a spectator’s view of the rocket as it flies to space.
The Bimini Highway. Falcon 9 will take a southeasterly direction tonight towards The Bahamas, as has been customary for all Group 6 Starlink missions. Spectators looking in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean will see the rocket flying left to right.
Given that the flight is immediately offshore with no return to launch site, there will be no sonic boom from the launch on the Space Coast.
According to SpaceX’s Starlink 6-63 Mission page, “This is the 13th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, and six Starlink missions.”
That’s Booster B1077. This booster flew 36 days ago when it lofted the Starlink Group 6-51 mission.
| SpaceX Booster B1077 | ||
| Flight | Mission | Date |
| 1 | Crew-5 | 10/15/2023 |
| 2 | GPS III SV06 | 01/18/2023 |
| 3 | Inmarsat-6 F2 | 02/18/2023 |
| 4 | Starlink Group 5-10 | 03/29/2023 |
| 5 | Dragon CRS-2 SpX-28 | 06/05/2023 |
| 6 | Galaxy 37 | 08/03/2023 |
| 7 | Starlink Group 6-13 | 09/01/2023 |
| 8 | Starlink Group 6-25 | 10/30/2023 |
| 9 | Starlink Group 6-33 | 12/07/2023 |
| 10 | Northrup Grumman NG-20 | 01/30/2024 |
| 11 | Starlink Group 6-43 | 03/10/2024 |
| 12 | Starlink Group 6-51 | 04/17/2024 |
There are key events in the countdown that you may hear called out in launch coverage.
Remember that once Propellant Loading (T-minus thirty-eight minutes) starts, Falcon 9 is committed to the launch attempt. Because of the nature of the cryogenic fuels used to power the rockets, any hold precludes a later launch attempt the same day. While it only rarely happens, there have been occasions where that has happened, and a launch scrub is called for the day’s attempt.
SpaceX provides the following countdown milestones on their mission information page:
| Hours:Minutes:Seconds | Event |
| 00:38:00 | SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for propellant load |
| 00:35:00 | RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene) loading begins |
| 00:35:00 | 1st stage LOX (liquid oxygen) loading begins |
| 00:16:00 | 2nd stage LOX loading begins |
| 00:07:00 | Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch |
| 00:01:00 | Command flight computer to begin final prelaunch checks |
| 00:01:00 | Propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins |
| 00:00:45 | SpaceX Launch Director verifies go for launch |
| 00:00:03 | Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start |
| 00:00:00 | Falcon 9 liftoff |
SpaceX has published a timeline of expected events during the mission:
| Hours:Minutes:Seconds | Event |
| 00:00:00 | Liftoff |
| 00:01:11 | Max-Q (Moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket) |
| 00:02:26 | 1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO) |
| 00:02:30 | 1st and 2nd stages separate |
| 00:02:36 | 2nd stage engine starts (SES-1) |
| 00:02:56 | Fairing deployment |
| 00:06:09 | 1st stage entry burn begins |
| 00:06:33 | 1st stage entry burn ends |
| 00:07:59 | 1st stage landing burn begins |
| 00:08:22 | 1st stage landing |
| 00:08:41 | 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1) |
| 00:54:08 | 2nd stage engine starts (SES-2) |
| 00:54:10 | 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-2) |
| 01:05:17 | Starlink satellites deploy |
All events up to the end of the 1st stage entry burn should be visible for launch spectators watching the launch in person, so long as clouds are not blocking the viewer’s line of sight. Fairing separation is generally only visible during daytime launches and then only using advanced optics like high-powered binoculars or a super-telephoto lens (500mm+).
SpaceCoastLaunchCalendar.com will have a livestream of the launch if you’re not able to watch the launch in person: Livestream
SpaceX will have a livestream of the launch on their website: Starlink 6-63 This will also be available on the X platform. Coverage starts about five 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.
Space Launch Schedule, 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.
This evening’s planned launch is from LC-39A at Cape Canaveral, which means that the best direct views of liftoff are the northern Titusville riverfront parks, one of the local businesses or Playalinda Beach:
The following restaurants will be open for the beginning of the launch window.
Playalinda Beach out on the Cape Canaveral National Seashore will be open to spectators, that is, if KSC Security and the National Park Service allow viewers for the launch. This varies from launch to launch, but as a general rule, they have allowed spectators to watch Starlink launches from the beach. You could be as close as 4.25 miles from the launch pad at liftoff.
Generally speaking, spectators have been allowed at Playalinda if the mission is not a national-security mission (for example, a National Reconnaissance Office payload) or a NASA mission. That’s not a certainty, however, and it would be wise to call ahead before making the trip out.
Cape Canaveral National Seashore Phone: 386 428-3384 x0
If you are going to Playalinda, and if it is open, remember:
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.
Be prepared for potential changes or pushbacks in the launch schedule, and keep up by monitoring the live stream links mentioned above.
Keep up with launch news and other space events that affect the local area by subscribing to alerts when we publish a new article by entering your email at the link at the bottom of this page, or by visiting Space Talk here on th
There is a period of time when the sun has just set where conditions are perfect to illuminate a rocket high in Earth’s atmosphere as it ascends while it is nearly dark down on the ground where people are watching.
Conditions have to be perfect for this to happen: skies need to be relatively clear between you and the rocket, the Sun can’t be blocked by clouds between it and the rocket and it has to happen at just the right time of day. All that came together tonight here on the Space Coast, giving spectators a spectacular “jellyfish” that was the best in about two years. Rare indeed.
SpaceX placed another twenty-three Starlink Mini V2 satellites in orbit after successfully launching the Starlink 6-58 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station this evening.
Liftoff was at 08:53 PM EDT. Around 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the first-stage booster used for the mission, tail number B1073, touched down safely on ASDS ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’, stationed downrange in the Atlantic Ocean. About roughly an hour after liftoff, the satellites were deployed in their intended orbits and the mission deemed a success.
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