SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sends Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit on Monday afternoon
Monday afternoon, SpaceX sent a Falcon 9 rocket roaring skyward amid sunshine and shimmering heat waves at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Following suit — potentially within a 48-hour span — SpaceX is poised to launch yet another batch of Starlink satellites into orbit Wednesday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
SpaceX's Starlink 6-57 mission lifted off at 2:14 p.m. EDT Monday from Launch Complex 40. The rocket propelled 23 broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit on a southeasterly trajectory.
Monday's Falcon 9 launch occurred 8 hours, 20 minutes before NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were scheduled to lift off at 10:34 p.m. during their high-profile mission aboard Boeing's Starliner capsule from nearby Launch Complex 41.
But instead, United Launch Alliance crews scrubbed the groundbreaking Starliner launch so crews can evaluate an oxygen relief valve on the Atlas V's Centaur second stage. ULA later announced the next launch attempt will occur no earlier than 9 p.m. Friday.
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The Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron forecast had predicted 90% odds of "go for launch" weather for Monday's SpaceX Starlink mission, and conditions were fine for liftoff.
The Falcon 9 first-stage booster logged its 15th flight, SpaceX reported. The booster previously launched CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19 and 10 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the booster landed aboard SpaceX's Just Read the Instructions drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
SpaceX has yet to make an announcement about Wednesday's rocket launch window, but FAA and NGA navigational warnings show it will open in late morning.
Bullet-point details:
Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink internet satellites from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Launch window: 10:42 a.m. to 3:13 p.m. Wednesday
Location: Pad 39A.
Trajectory: Southeast.
Local sonic boom: No.
Booster landing: Drone ship out in the Atlantic Ocean.
Live coverage: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space.
For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and KSC, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at [email protected]. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX Starlink mission takes flight Monday from Cape Canaveral SFS
