Replace 2:24 p.m. EDT (1824 UTC): Up to date launch time.
SpaceX goals to interrupt one other re-flight file on Friday night with the launch of 23 extra Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9 booster making its 18th flight.
The Starlink 6-26 mission is about to launch from Area Launch Advanced 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Area Power Station at 8:37 p.m. EDT (0037 UTC on Nov. 4). It’s going to ship 23 Starlink V2 Mini satellites as much as low Earth orbit, which is able to carry the overall Starlink satellites launched in 2023 as much as 1,711.
If wanted, there are three backup alternatives from 9:01 p.m. till 10:22 p.m. EDT (0101-0222 UTC). There are additionally eight extra launch slots on the night of Saturday, Nov. 4.
Spaceflight Now’s dwell protection of the launch will begin about one hour previous to launch.
The forty fifth Climate Squadron primarily based at Patrick Area Power Base yesterday forecast an 80 p.c favorable likelihood of liftoff on Friday, citing cumulus clouds and liftoff winds as potential watch gadgets. Climate degrades barely on Saturday, providing 75 p.c favorable circumstances.
The booster on deck for this sundown mission, tail quantity B1058, is the oldest, at present flying Falcon 9 booster. It first flew on Might 30, 2020, launching former NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the Worldwide Area Station on the Demo-2 mission. This was the primary flight of the Business Crew Program with astronauts on board. SpaceX has since flown seven crew rotation missions as much as the orbiting outpost, along with two personal astronaut missions.
Following liftoff, the booster will land on the droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas,’ about eight-and-a-half minutes into the mission.
As SpaceX continues working in direction of including Dragon capabilities to SLC-40 with a brand new crew entry tower, Friday evening’s mission will mark the 152nd orbital launch for the corporate because it started utilizing the launch pad. This would be the 207th total launch from this website.
Whereas SpaceX prepares to launch its 52nd Starlink launch of the 12 months, it’s additionally working in direction of one other mission over at Launch Advanced 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Area Heart. On Thursday, NASA introduced one other two-day slip to the launch. It’s the third time the mission has been delayed because of a problem with one of many Draco thrusters on the Cargo Dragon that can fly the mission. Launch was beforehand scheduled for Nov. 3, 5 and seven.
“Throughout the preliminary propellant load in preparation for the CRS-29 mission, groups recognized a leak of NTO (nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer) in a Draco thruster valve, which per customary process required a pause to the operation to troubleshoot,” NASA mentioned in a press release. “The crew inspected the valve and respective knowledge, and determined to exchange the thruster.”
The twenty ninth SpaceX mission for the Business Resupply Providers program is at present concentrating on launch at 8:28 p.m. EST on Nov. 9 (0128 UTC on Nov. 10).
