SpaceX is making another mission today! Elon Musk's space agency is set to launch over 20 new satellites into orbit.
SpaceX To Launch New Satellites to Orbit
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch 21 more Starlink internet satellites from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Tuesday at 2:57 EDT (06:57 GMT; 11:57 p.m. local California time on Sept. 11). The Falcon 9's first stage is anticipated to make a touchdown in the Pacific Ocean on the SpaceX droneship Of Course I Still Love You 8.5 minutes after launch.
According to the SpaceX mission summary on the company website, this will be the first launch and landing for this first-stage booster. The Starlink satellites are expected to be deployed by the Falcon 9's upper stage 62 minutes after takeoff.
The launch on Tuesday morning will be SpaceX's 64th of 2023, breaking its record of 61 launches from the previous year.
You can watch the launch live via SpaceX. The coverage will begin five minutes before the scheduled liftoff.
According to the SpaceX mission description, this will be this first-stage booster's eleventh launch and landing. This year, SpaceX is outperforming the rest of the globe regarding space missions, with most of its launches advancing the firm's Starlink mega constellation.
According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, who watches the constellation on his website, more than 4,600 operational Starlink satellites are in orbit. SpaceX aims to grow that number to as many as 42,000 over the next few years.
All systems and weather are looking good for tonight’s launch of 21 @Starlink satellites from California
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 12, 2023
Falcon 9's Previous Missions
In July, Falcon 9 made its 16th flight. The rocket blasted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station toward low-Earth orbit (LEO) with 22 Starlink satellites onboard.
The satellites were the "V2 Minis." A Falcon 9 can accommodate about 50, bigger than the previous Starlink design. The final V2 satellites, which will be launched on SpaceX's enormous Starship next-generation vehicle, weigh 1.25 tons (1.1 metric tons) and are hence "mini" in comparison.
In June, the SATRIA-1 communications satellite for Indonesia was launched into space by SpaceX's Falcon 9. On behalf of the Indonesian government, the Indonesian business PSN manages SATRIA-1 also called the "Satellite of the Republic of Indonesia" satellite.
The $550 million spacecraft "is intended to boost connectivity inclusion in the country, providing free internet connection to 150,000 public facilities, including schools, regional government offices, and health facilities."
Falcon 9 blasted out from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station despite being 15 minutes late due to severe winds. Its first-stage booster returned to Earth shortly after liftoff. SpaceX's droneship Shortfall of Gravitas was positioned in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida for the booster's anticipated comeback.
Before the missions above, the Falcon 9 first stage launched in December 2022. One of SpaceX's 15 previous flights, Demo-2, the company's first crewed mission, carried two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station in 2020.
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