SpaceX is preparing for the second Falcon 9 launch of the day following a profitable mission from Florida’s House Coast. Notably, the Starlink 8-2 mission from the corporate’s West Coast launch pad options 13 extra satellites boasting a Direct to Cell functionality.
In whole, there are 20 Starlink satellites awaiting departure from House Launch Complicated 4 East (SLC-4E) Wednesday evening. Liftoff from Vandenberg House Power Base is about for 7:48 p.m. PDT (10:48 p.m. EDT, 0248 UTC).
Spaceflight Now could have dwell protection starting about half-hour previous to liftoff.
The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, B1082 within the SpaceX fleet, might be launching for a fourth time. It beforehand supported the launches of the USSF-62 mission together with two Starlink flights.
Slightly greater than eight minutes after liftoff, B1082 will contact down on the SpaceX droneship, ‘Of Course I Nonetheless Love You.’ This can mark the 89th touchdown for OCISLY and the 306th booster touchdown so far.
The Direct to Cell portion of the Starlink constellation is a reasonably latest addition. To this point, SpaceX has introduced the launch of 12 such satellites. This mission will deliver that whole as much as 25 in low Earth orbit.
The mission additionally exemplifies the tempo at which the Western Vary is growing its capacity to help orbital flights. The Starlink 8-2 mission would be the fifteenth launch from VSFB, greater than half of what the West Coast House Power facility supported in all of 2023.
Falcon 9 roars away from pad 39A on the Kennedy House Middle carrying 23 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink web service. Watch a replay of our dwell protection: pic.twitter.com/3KxvOdcTRw
— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) May 8, 2024
