SpaceX launches Starlink satellite with Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral – Spaceflight Now

Update October 17, 4:38 p.m. EDT: SpaceX is moving to its 24-hour launch backup date and is targeting launch no earlier than Friday, October 18.

Update October 17, 5:08 p.m. EDT: Added new forecast information for the updated launch opportunity.

Update October 18, 2:45 p.m. EDT: Added details on Falcon 9 rocket and payload.

SpaceX has been preparing to launch its third batch of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit since Monday morning, but Cape winds could prove difficult.

Launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is scheduled for Friday, October 18, at 7:31 p.m. EDT (2331 UTC). If SpaceX cannot launch at that time, it has a replacement option at 7:06 p.m. EDT on Saturday. 2306 UTC)

Spaceflight Now’s live broadcast begins about an hour before launch.

On Thursday evening, the 45th Weather Squadron released a launch weather forecast for the new launch date Friday that showed only a 40 percent chance of favorable weather at launch. Wind speeds of between 19 and 26 miles per hour were predicted at launch.

“Strong onshore flow will continue throughout the weekend as high pressure will continue across the eastern United States. Moisture will be slow to return but some isolated landside showers are possible by the backup day,” forecasters said. “The main concern remains the takeoff wind with the addition of the cumulus cloud rule for Saturday.”

If SpaceX decides to push forward to Saturday, the chance of favorable weather increases to 60 percent. Both launch dates show that the weather for the booster recreation is somewhere between low and medium risk.

The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting the mission, tail number B1076 in the SpaceX fleet, will launch for the 17th time. It previously supported Intelsat 40e, Turksat-6A, the 26th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-26) mission to the International Space Station and eight previous Starlink missions.

Just over eight minutes after launch, B1076 will target a landing on the SpaceX Just Read the Instructions drone ship. If all goes well, this will be the 94th successful booster landing with JRTI and the 355th booster landing to date.

There are 20 Starlink V2 mini satellites on board the rocket, 13 of which have direct-to-cell capabilities. A successful deployment brings the total number of DTC Starlink satellites launched to 259.

The launch of the Starlink satellites will also bring the total number of orbital launches from Florida this year to 71, which is less than the total number of satellites launched in 2023.