SpaceX is trying to launch two Falcon 9 Starlink missions tonight from the East and West Coasts simply hours aside.
These two launches will symbolize the 99th and a hundredth devoted Starlink mission for the corporate. First up might be a launch from Area Launch Advanced 40 at Cape Canaveral Area Drive Station in Florida at the moment focusing on 8:14 p.m. ET (00:14 UTC on August 17) adopted by the launch from Area Launch Advanced 4 East at Vandenberg Area Drive Station at the moment focusing on 12:01 a.m. PT (7:01 UTC).
For the Florida Starlink mission, the satellites might be launched on a South Easterly trajectory and inserted right into a 43-degree orbital inclination simply over an hour after liftoff. The climate could think about as regular for Florida launches, which may trigger the 2 missions to happen a lot nearer to one another.
Concentrating on back-to-back Falcon 9 launches of @Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from each Florida and California beginning on Wednesday, August 16 → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK pic.twitter.com/e2JfiqwNFt
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 16, 2023
If wanted, SpaceX has 4 extra alternatives between 9:07 p.m. ET (1:07 UTC on August 17) till 12:00 a.m. ET on August 17 (4:00 UTC). The climate outlook exhibits a 20% likelihood of acceptable climate enhancing to a 65% likelihood of acceptable climate on the finish of the window. If climate or technical points stop the launch tonight, there are 4 alternatives tomorrow night.
The Falcon 9 launching Starlink Group 6-10 is Booster 1067 which might be making its thirteenth flight. B1067 has beforehand launched the Crew 3 and Crew 4 missions to the ISS, two ISS resupply missions, 4 business payloads, and 4 Starlink missions. B1067 will try a touchdown on the droneship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” eight and a half minutes after launch.
The California launch will characteristic a launch of 21 Starlink satellites, the a lot of the V2 mini variant but from the West Coast. This launch won’t be heading to 43 levels as it’s the first mission of a brand new shell. The Group 7-1 mission will head to the Southeast and be inserted right into a 53-degree orbital inclination. Prior missions to 43 levels featured a dog-leg maneuver which minimize efficiency and restricted Falcon 9 to launching simply 15 at a time to that inclination from the West Coast.
Just like the Florida launch, SpaceX has a number of alternatives to launch between 12:51 a.m. PT (7:51 UTC) and three:23 a.m. PT (10:23 UTC). If wanted, there are 2 launch alternatives ~24 hours later.
The booster tasked with the Starlink Group 7-1 mission is B1061 embarking on its fifteenth flight to area and again. B1061 has beforehand launched the Crew 1, 2 and the CRS-23 missions to the ISS, six business payloads, and 5 Starlink missions. B1061 has a scheduled touchdown on the droneship “Of Course I Nonetheless Love You” eight and a half minutes after launch.
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