The subsequent batch of 23 Starlink satellites for SpaceX’s space-based web service are scheduled to trip a Falcon 9 rocket into orbit Sunday from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral House Pressure Station. Liftoff is now focused for five:35 p.m. EST (2235 UTC).
SpaceX had earlier introduced a four-hour launch window that opened at 4 p.m. EST (2100 UTC), but it surely must clear the way in which for the inaugural launch of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket from neighboring pad 41. The rocket was solely raised upright on the launch pad at round 1 p.m. EST leaving crews racing to satisfy the brand new goal launch time of 5:35 p.m. EST.
Spaceflight Now could have reside protection of the mission beginning one hour earlier than liftoff. You possibly can watch reside views of the Falcon 9 in our Launch Pad Live stream.
The primary stage booster supporting this flight, tail quantity B1067, will likely be making its sixteenth flight, changing into simply the fourth booster to achieve that milestone. There are solely three different boosters with an extended flight historical past which are nonetheless in use after B1058 was unintentionally destroyed in the course of the restoration course of:
- B1058 – 19 flights (destroyed)
- B1060 – 17 flights (subsequent flight TBD)
- B1061 – 17 flights (subsequent flight TBD)
- B1062 – 17 flights (subsequent flight TBD)
B1060, B1061 and B1067 all have the excellence of launching two Crew Dragon spacecraft every throughout their lifetimes. B1080 is about to hitch that membership later this month when it launches on its fifth flight with the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) astronauts aboard Crew Dragon Freedom.
About eight-and-a-half minutes after liftoff, B1067 will land on the droneship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’ If all goes nicely, this may 56th profitable booster touchdown on ASOG because it was put into the combination. The opposite East Coast-based droneship, ‘Simply Learn the Directions,’ continues to be out of fee for servicing in North Carolina.
The subsequent SpaceX mission on deck is the Starlink 7-10 flight, set to launch from House Launch Complicated 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg House Pressure Base on Tuesday, Jan. 9, with a window that opens round 9 p.m. PST (12 a.m. EST, 0500 UTC on Jan. 9).
SpaceX has not introduced the variety of Starlink satellites that will likely be onboard that flight or if there’ll extra of the brand new Starlinks that function direct-to-cell performance.
Starship information on the horizon
The launches come as information relating to SpaceX’s Starship rocket is about to be on the horizon. Simply over every week in the past on his social media web site, X, SpaceX founder Elon Musk stated he could be giving an organization speak to SpaceX staff to mark their 2023 accomplishments and talk about the 12 months forward.
Not too long ago, throughout an unrelated livestream on X, Musk said that the speak would probably happen on Thursday, Jan. 11, and would come with updates on the corporate’s Starship rocket. If this occurs, it could mark the primary substantial replace on the pivotal launch program for the reason that second built-in flight take a look at launched from Starbase in southern Texas in November.
There was a flurry of exercise on the growth and launch web site in current weeks, together with the take a look at firings of each Ship 28 and Booster 10. SpaceX referred to them because the Flight 3 Starship and Flight 3 Tremendous Heavy Booster respectively in social media posts.
SpaceX stated in posts {that a} single engine was fired on the Starship higher stage “demonstrating a flight-like startup for an in-space burn.” Following the take a look at firings, eagle-eyed viewers noticed SpaceX testing the payload bay door on the Starship, probably indicating that this subsequent mission may embrace some sort of payload.
An surprising payload bay door take a look at after the static fireplace. #SpaceX #Starbase #Starship pic.twitter.com/t4qAAVJHCp
— LabPadre House (@LabPadre) December 20, 2023
The forthcoming announcement from Musk will come on the heels of one other marquee occasion subsequent week that would concern the rocket. In a late Friday discover to members of the press, NASA introduced that it’s going to maintain a media teleconference to debate the most recent on the Artemis program and the return of people to the Moon.
The replace will likely be led by NASA Administrator Invoice Nelson and can function Jim Free, who as of the beginning of 2024, is now the NASA Affiliate Administrator, following the retirement of Bob Cabana. Catherine Koerner, affiliate administrator for the Exploration Programs Improvement Mission Directorate, and Amit Kshatriya, the deputy affiliate administrator for the Moon to Mars Program may even be collaborating.
The discover to the press additionally said that “Business companion representatives additionally will likely be out there to reply questions,” although it doesn’t explicitly state if that features SpaceX or the developer of the lunar spacesuits set to debut on the Artemis 3 mission, Axiom House.
