Starlink

Starlink 6-44 Rising: Photographer Ed Cordero captured Falcon 9 in flight Friday night.
Photo: Ed Cordero, Florida Media Now

After two scrubs, SpaceX launched the Starlink 6-44 mission aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center Friday night. The payload was another tranche of 23 Starlink V2 Mini satellites for the company’s burgeoning LEO-based satellite Internet service.

Third Time The Charm

Wednesday evening, the launch was delayed for reasons that the company did not disclose. Thursday night, with slightly more than two minutes left on the countdown clock, a mechanical issue to the rocket’s cradle — its transporter-erector — forced another cancelation. Friday, repairs were made and SpaceX tried again. This time, no issues arose and Falcon flew into partly cloudy skies and made its way to orbit successfully.

Liftoff from Launch Complex 39A happened at 8:21 PM ET. Approximately 8.5 minutes after its launch, Booster B1062 landed safely on the automated spaceport droneship (ASDS) ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ near the Bahamas, completing its mission for the evening. That flight was the booster’s 19th, tying it with two other SpaceX boosters — B1058 and B1061 — as the most reused rockets in the company’s inventory.

Seventh Inning Stretch: A Rocket Launch

While the launch was visible to observers in Brevard County, they weren’t the only people who got to enjoy seeing the rocket heading to space.

Due to the southeasterly trajectory of Falcon 9 last night, fans and players at the New York Mets – Washington Nationals spring training game in Port St. Lucie enjoyed a long view of Falcon 9’s flight off of the coast as it headed towards orbit. A fan shared an iPhone video of the launch as seen inside Clover Park.

They say that the best camera you own is the one that you have with you. Despite its weaknesses at recording video at night, an iPhone was sufficient to capture the memory of the sight of Falcon 9 over the game. Dozens, if not hundreds of fans did just that.

Booster: B1062

Booster B1062 successfully completed its 19th flight.

B1062 was first used for a GPS launch in 2020, and its last launch was in January of this year when it launched Starlink 6-38. Its most notable missions are Inspiration 4 and Axiom-1, both of which were crewed.

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 possible preparation for its next mission, which will be its 20th.

FlightMissionDate
1GPS III SV04 Sacagawea11/05/2020
2GPS III SV05 Neil Armstrong06/17/2021
3Inspiration 409/16/2021
4Starlink 4-501/06/2022
5Axiom-104/08/2022
6Starlink 4-1604/29/2022
7Nilesat-30106/08/2022
8Starlink 4-2507/24/2022
9Starlink 4-2708/19/2022
10Starlink 4-3610/20/2022
11Starlink 5-112/28/2022
12Starlink 5-402/12/2023
13OneWeb 1703/09/2023
14ArabSat 7B05/27/2023
15Starlink 6-707/28/2023
16Starlink 6-2310/18/2023
17Starlink 6-3011/28/2023
18Starlink 6-3801/29/2024
19Starlink 6-4403/15/2024
Booster 1062 flight record as of March 15, 2024

Trajectory

Trajectory was to the southeast.

Next Launch

NET Thursday, March 21, 2024, SpaceX and NASA will send a batch of supplies to the International Space Station aboard a Falcon 9: CRS-30. It is slated to launch from SLC-40 at Space Canaveral Space Force Station at 4:55 PM EDT.*

* Note: launch dates and times change often. Keep up with the latest launch news and times at Talk of Titusville.

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Starlink V2 in their payload rack.
Photo: SpaceX

After moving the planned launch time for Starlink 6-44 several times yesterday evening, SpaceX halted Falcon 9’s countdown and the launch scrubbed with just over two minutes left before liftoff. No reason was given for the delay, and the company said it will try again tonight, Thursday, March 14th.

According to SpaceX, “Liftoff is targeted for 7:04 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 10:40 p.m. ET. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Friday, March 15 starting at 6:39 p.m. ET.”

Weather

Compared to yesterday, the weather is expected to improve, according to the 45th Weather Squadron: there is only a 5% Probability of Violation, meaning there is a 95% chance of acceptable weather:

Full Launch Information

For a preview of the launch, its trajectory and how to watch it, click here:

SpaceX Plans To Launch Starlink 6-44 From Cape Tonight

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rising to orbit in 2022
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT

SpaceX plans to launch the Starlink 6-44 mission tonight, Wednesday, March 13, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.

The payload will be another tranche of 23 Starlink satellites that will be ferried low-Earth orbit from pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. According to the company, “liftoff is targeted for 7:29 PM EDT, with backup opportunities available until 11:29 PM EDT. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Thursday, March 14 starting at 7:04 PM EDT.”

Weather

The 45th Weather Squadron has released a Probability of Violation forecast calling for a 40% Probability of Violation for tonight’s launch. According to forecasters “primary weather concerns for a Wednesday evening launch will be for the Thick Cloud Layer Rule and Cumulus Cloud Rule.”

45th Weather Squadron forecast for Starlink 6-44.
Retrieved 10:00 AM EDT March 13, 2024

Trajectory

Southeast, as has been customary for Group 6 Starlink payloads.

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: B1062

Booster B1062 will be making its 19th flight.

B1062 was first used for a GPS launch in 2020, and its last launch was in January of this year when it launched Starlink 6-38. Its most notable missions are Inspiration 4 and Axiom-1, both of which were crewed.

FlightMissionDate
1GPS III SV04 Sacagawea11/05/2020
2GPS III SV05 Neil Armstrong06/17/2021
3Inspiration 409/16/2021
4Starlink 4-501/06/2022
5Axiom-104/08/2022
6Starlink 4-1604/29/2022
7Nilesat-30106/08/2022
8Starlink 4-2507/24/2022
9Starlink 4-2708/19/2022
10Starlink 4-3610/20/2022
11Starlink 5-112/28/2022
12Starlink 5-402/12/2023
13OneWeb 1703/09/2023
14ArabSat 7B05/27/2023
15Starlink 6-707/28/2023
16Starlink 6-2310/18/2023
17Starlink 6-3011/28/2023
18Starlink 6-3801/29/2024
Booster 1062 flight record

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 6-44 Mission Page.

Spaceflight Now will begin its live launch feed one hour prior to liftoff.
SFN on Youtube.

Launch Viewing: In Person

Tomorrow’s launch is from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center, which means that the best direct views of liftoff are at either the Max Brewer Bridge in Titusville, or the northern parks on US-1 in Titusville.

The ascending rocket will also be visible on the beaches after liftoff when Falcon 9 clears any obstructions.

Weather is forecast to be in the 70º’s around launch time.

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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.

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Booster B1077 prior to its last launch, North Grumman NG-20
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN

SpaceX plans to launch the Starlink 6-43 mission Sunday, March 10 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.

The payload will be another tranche of 23 Starlink satellites that will be ferried low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. According to the company, “liftoff is targeted for 7:05 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 11:03 p.m. ET. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Monday, March 11 starting at 6:40 p.m. ET.”

Weather

At this time, the 45th Weather Squadron has not released a Probability of Violation forecast for the launch.

The National Weather Service’s general forecast for the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Skid Strip calls for “Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. North northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.“

Trajectory

Southeast, as has been customary for Group 6 Starlink payloads.

Booster

Booster B1077 will be making its eleventh flight.

B1077 was first used for the Crew-5 mission. Its last mission was the NG-20 for Northrup Grumman on January 30, 2024.

FlightMissionDate
1Crew-510/15/2023
2GPS III SV0601/18/2023
3 Inmarsat-6 F202/18/2023
4Starlink Group 5-1003/29/2023
5Dragon CRS-2 SpX-2806/05/2023
6Galaxy 3708/03/2023
7Starlink Group 6-1309/01/2023
8Starlink Group 6-2510/30/2023
9Starlink Group 6-3312/07/2023
10Northrup Grumman NG-2001/30/2024
Booster 1077 flight record

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 6-43 Mission Page.

Spaceflight Now will begin its live launch feed one hour prior to liftoff.
SFN on Youtube.

Launch Viewing: In Person

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.

If you plan to attend in person, don’t forget mosquito spray. You’ll probably be glad you brought some.

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A Falcon 9 lifts off from Pad SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
File photo by Charles Boyer / ToT

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.”

Trajectory

A southeasern trajectory is expected, with a booster landing in the Atlantic Ocean just east of the Bahamas.

Booster

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

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.

Launch Viewing: Online

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

Launch Viewing: In Person

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.

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Falcon 9 Booster B1076 lifts off of SLC-40 on February 29, 2024 to start the Starlink 6-40 mission.

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.

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Falcon 9 Booster B1069 in flight with Starlink 6-39 on February 25, 2024

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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Falcon 9 lifts off to begin the Starlink 6-39 mission today at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Pad SLC-40.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

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.

Booster Touches Down Safely

About eight and a half minutes after liftoff, Booster B1069 touched down safely on SpaceX’s A Shortfall of Gravitas automated droneship located offshore in the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas. It was the booster’s fourteenth flight since it went into service on December 21, 2021, launching the CRS-24 mission to ferry supplies to the International Space Station.

Shortly before staging, Falcon 9 flies high above the Florida coastline today.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

After returning to Port Canaveral several days from now, Booster B1069 will be returned to SpaceX’s facilities at Hangar X at Kennedy Space Center, where it will be inspected, refurbished, and presumably prepared for its next flight.

Falcon 9 Performance Boosts

In a post on the X platform today, SpaceX noted that today’s “mission [was] carrying one additional Starlink satellite from previous East Coast missions thanks in part to performance increases on Falcon 9.”

Picture Perfect Launch

Initially scheduled for yesterday, today’s launch was the second attempt to complete the Starlink 6-39 mission. Crowds of spectators lined the parks on US-1 in Titusville, the beaches and along FL-528W to watch the liftoff, and weren’t disappointed by the views they could see. Falcon 9 was visible all the way through first stage and slightly afterwards, which is a rare site for a daytime launch.

Next Launch

It will be a busy week at the Eastern Range, so long as the weather cooperates: SpaceX will launch another batch of Starlink satellites to orbit on Wednesday, February 28th, with the Starlink 6-40 mission slated to liftoff between 11:00 AM and 2:31 PM EST from Pad SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Not long after that, at 12:04 AM EST on Friday, March 1st, Crew-8 will head to the International Space Station aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center.

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Partial timelapse of Falcon 9’s flight path from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center on January 28, 2024 as seen from Rotary Park in Titusville.
Photo: Charles Boyer / Talk of Titusville

SpaceX launched 23 Starlink satellites for their orbital-based Internet service tonight from Cape Canaveral aboard a Falcon 9 booster. Liftoff was at 8:10 PM EST from Pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. Roughly eight-and-a -half minutes after liftoff, Booster B1062 touched down safely near the Bahamas completed its work for the evening. Simultaneously, the second stage continued to carry the company’s payload to orbit, which it achieved successfully at about the same time the first stage booster was touching down.

Booster B1062 late in its 18th flight.
Photo: Ed Cordero / Florida Media Now

Mission Trajectory

Tonight’s launch was to the southeast, as has been customary with other launches of the Group 6 batch of Starlink satellites.

18th Flight for Booster B1062

Tonight’s flight was the16th flight for the first stage booster B1062.

It previously launched CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, mPOWER-a, PSN SATRIA, and seven Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean northeast of the Bahamas.

The booster will be returned to Port Canaveral and then transferred to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility at Kennedy Space Center for inspect and ostensibly re-use on a future mission.

Next Launch

On Tuesday, January 30th SpaceX will launch Northrup-Grumman’s Cygnus CRS-2 towards the International Space Station aboard a Falcon 9. This launch will be the 20th resupply mission carried out as part of NG’s Commercial Resupply contract with NASA, and will ferry supplies for the station’s crew, equipment, as well as new scientific experiments to the orbiting outpost.

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