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CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — The first half of a possible double launch day happened as SpaceX sent up nearly 30 Starlink satellites early Thursday morning.
SpaceX stated it launched its Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 4:36 a.m. ET.
The launch window for the Starlink 10-15 mission opened at 4:36 a.m. ET and it was set to close at 8:36 a.m. ET. That means the California-based company had during that timeframe to launch its rocket.
And near the end of that launch window would have overlapped with the United Launch Alliance’s liftoff attempt with its Project Kuiper 3 mission.
For the Starlink mission, the 45th Weather Squadron gave a 95% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the only concerns being the cumulus cloud rule.
Find out more about the weather criteria for a Falcon 9 launch.
Going up
This is the 22nd mission for old B1080, the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster for this mission.
Looking at its resume, it has had two crewed launches.
After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas that was in the Atlantic Ocean.
About the mission
The 28 satellites from the Starlink company, owned by SpaceX, will be going to low-Earth orbit, which is home to the thousands already there.
Once deployed and in their orbit, the 28 will provide internet service to many parts of Earth.
Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been recording Starlink satellites.
Before this launch, McDowell recorded the following:
- 8,475 are in orbit
- 7,430 are in operational orbit
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Anthony Leone
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