Another 23 Starlink satellites are in orbit early this evening, after SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Liftoff was at 6:08 PM EDT.
Around 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the booster used tonight’ – B1076 — completed its thirteenth mission successfully when it touched down safely on the Automated Spaceport Drone Ship (ASDS) ‘Just Read The Instructions’ which was stationed downrange in the Atlantic Ocean northeast of the Bahamas.
On a somewhat unexpectedly cool, brisk evening on the Space Coast with passing showers in Titusville and other locations nearby Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX launched two navigation satellites for the European Space Agency. Liftoff was at 08:34 PM EDT from Pad LC-39A at KSC. Liftoff and ascent to orbit was successful.
On a somewhat unexpectedly cool, brisk evening on the Space Coast with passing showers in Titusville and other locations nearby Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX launched two navigation satellites for the European Space Agency. Liftoff was at 08:34 PM EDT from Pad LC-39A at KSC. Liftoff and ascent to orbit was successful.
Two launches in two days on two nearly perfect Florida late spring evenings: that’s life on the Space Coast these days, and that’s what’s happened over the last 25 or so hours here at The Cape. Tonight, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from their launch pad at SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station carrying another 23 Starlink satellites to orbit. Launch was at 6:40 PM EDT, right at the start of the launch window.
Opening Day in Major League Baseball was just a couple of days ago, so it’s fitting in a way that the Space Coast will get its own kind of double-header tomorrow: SpaceX is planning to launch Eutelsat 36D from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center between 5:52 PM and 8:00 PM EDT, and then between 9:00 PM and 10:31 PM EDT, another batch of Internet connectivty satellites with the Starlink 6-46 mission from their pad at SLC-40 at Cape Cananveral Space Force Station.
Both missions will be aboard the company’s Falcon 9 rockets, and both will land offshore on Automated Spaceport Drone Ships (ASDS) — ‘Just Read The Instructions’ for Eutelsat, and ‘A Shortfall Of Gravitas’ for the Starlink Mission. Two other SpaceX boats — ‘Bob’ and ‘Doug’ are also out to sea, and they will be retrieving the fairings for each mission after they are jettisoned by the ascending rockets.
All of those vessels will then return to Port Canaveral after several days, where their cargo will be offloaded and returned to SpaceX’s facility Hangar X at Kennedy Space Center for inspection, refurbishment and potential reuse.
The boosters SpaceX is planning to use for these missions have not been disclosed by the company yet.
Eutelsat will take a nearly due East trajectory from Kennedy Space Center, flying towards an equatorial orbit.
Starlink 6-45 will take the well-trodden path as other Group 6 Starlink missions: southeastward.
According to the 45th Weather Squadron of the US Space Force, “Weather conditions will be very favorable for Saturday evening’s launch attempt.”
The 45th’s forecast for Starlink 6-45 is all but identical to their Eutelsat POV prognistication:
The Eutelsat mission may offer an intriguing possibility: it’s planned for late afternoon, NET 5:52 PM EDT, with the window going to 8:00 PM. That means there’s a possibility that 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.
Generally speaking, if it is not a national-security mission (for example, a National Reconnaissance Office payload) or a NASA mission, spectators have been allowed at Playalinda. That’s by no means a certainty, however, and it would be very wise to call ahead before making the trip out.
Cape Canaveral National Seashore Phone: 386 428-3384 x0
If Playalinda is open, remember:
Also, as part of both Kennedy Space Center and the US Park system, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is under federal jurisdiction and that means if you happen to get a ticket out there, you’ll be heading to federal court. Best thing to do is strictly obey traffic laws. Don’t speed!
If you’re not planning to go to Playalinda, the best direct views of liftoff are at either at the northern Titusville parks off of US1 / Washington Avenue. the Max Brewer Bridge in Titusville, or the northern parks on US-1 in Titusville.
The ascending rocket will also be visible on Cocoa Beach, Cocoa Beach Pier, Jetty Park Pier after liftoff when Falcon 9 clears any obstructions.
The Starlink launch is from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral, which means that the best direct views of liftoff are: 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.
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.
SpaceCoastLaunchCalendar.com will have a livestream of the launch if you’re not able to watch the launch in person: Livestream
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 booster carrying 23 more Starlink V2 Mini satellites to orbit tonight from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. Launch was at 11:09 PM EDT, and was successful. The launch was late in the launch window after two pushbacks on the planned L-0 time due to shifting weather here on the Space Coast.
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station earlier this evening. Liftoff was at 7:05 PM EDT, with the rocket taking a southeasterly direction into late afternoon skies. Around eight and one-half minutes after liftoff, B1077, the booster used for the mission, touched down safely on ASDS Just Read The Instructions. At the same time, the second stage continued to orbit, where it delivered another 23 satellites for the Starlink network.
On the heels of the successful launch of Crew-8 from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center late last night, SpaceX is planning to get back to it quickly this evening when they launch the Starlink 6-41 mission from Pad SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch window extends from 6:56 PM – 10:54 PM EST.
Weather for tonight’s launch looks good according to the 45th Weather Squadron: only a one-in-five chance of a weather-related delay, meaning that there is an 80% chance of acceptable weather conditions throughout the launch window. According to them, the primary concerns are the “Cumulus Cloud Rule and the Anvil Cloud Rules.”
A southeasern trajectory is expected, with a booster landing in the Atlantic Ocean just east of the Bahamas.
SpaceX has not announced which booster will be used for this flight at the time of this writing. When that information becomes available, we will add it here.
Landing will occur on ASDS (Automated Spaceport Drone Ship) A Shortfall of Gravitas, which will be stationed offshore and downrange. After Falcon 9’s booster lands safely aboard the vessel, it will return to Port Canaveral and then to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility at Kennedy Space Center for inspection and presumably refurbishment and preparation for its next flight.
SpaceX generally provides live launch coverage starting fifteen minutes prior to launch on their account on the X platform. Click here
Spaceflight Now will provide launch coverage one hour prior to liftoff on their YouTube channel. Click here
Tomorrow’s launch is from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral, which means that the best direct views of liftoff are at either the Banana River Bridge on FL-528 W near Port Canaveral, or the southern parks on US-1 / S. Washington Avenue in Titusville.
The ascending rocket will also be visible on the beaches after liftoff when Falcon 9 clears any obstructions.
While Crew-8’s Falcon 9 sits on Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center this morning waiting for weather to improve along its launch corridor, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 carrying 23 more Starlink Version 2 Mini satellites to low-Earth orbit from its other launch pad on the Eastern Range at SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Liftoff at 10:30 AM EST under almost-overcast skies, with the rocket completely disappearing 10-15 seconds after liftoff when it entered the cloud deck and rose towards orbit. About 8.5 minutes later, Booster B1076 completed its 12th mission and landed safely offshore on the company’s autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) Just Read The Instructions.
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 today from Pad SLC-40 and sent another twenty-four Starlink satellites to orbit. Liftoff occurred at 5:06 PM EST on what might best be described as a “travel brochure day” — crystal clear skies, with a light breeze and temperatures in the high 60s. In other words, the sort of winter day in Florida draws many tourists because the weather is darn near perfect.
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