May 17, 2024, 4:03 PM
May 17, 2024, 4:00 PM

SpaceX to Launch 23 Starlink Satellites from Florida

Highlights
  • SpaceX plans to launch 23 more Starlink communication satellites from Florida.
  • The liftoff target is set for 8:32 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
  • This launch will expand the Starlink satellite constellation for global internet coverage.
Story

SpaceX is sending up more Starlink satellites from Florida on Friday evening. The liftoff is planned for 8:32 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. A Falcon 9 rocket will carry 23 satellites into low-Earth orbit. This rocket has been on 21 missions before. The flight will take about 8 1/2 minutes and the first-stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. If there's a delay, the backup launch window is at 11:30 p.m. More launch opportunities are scheduled for Saturday starting at 8:06 p.m. Currently, there are 5,941 Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth to provide Internet connections worldwide. The chances of favorable launch weather conditions are between 75% to 95%, according to the Space Force 45th Weather Squadron. If there's a delay, the chances drop to 40% to 80%. The Falcon 9 rocket used in this mission has been on previous missions like GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, Inspiration4, Ax-1, Nilesat 301, OneWeb Launch 17, ARABSAT BADR-8, and 13 Starlink flights.

Opinions

You've reached the end