Updates: Following is reside protection of the 8:37 p.m. EDT Friday liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on the Starlink 6-26 mission from Cape Canaveral House Pressure Station in Florida.
Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY’s House Group reside protection of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Starlink 6-26 mission from Cape Canaveral House Pressure Station.
SpaceX is now focusing on 8:37 p.m. EDT for a night launch of a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Advanced 40 at Cape Canaveral House Pressure Station.
If delays come up, three backup launch alternatives can be found from 9:01 p.m. to 10:22 p.m. EDT, SpaceX stories.
After liftoff, the two-stage, 230-foot Falcon 9 will deploy one other batch of 23 Starlink web satellites into low-Earth orbit.
No native sonic booms are anticipated alongside the House Coast. After hovering skyward alongside a southeastern trajectory, the rocket’s first stage booster will goal touchdown aboard a drone ship out on the Atlantic Ocean about 8½ minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX Falcon 9 booster lands
Replace 8:45 p.m. EDT: The Falcon 9 first-stage booster simply landed aboard SpaceX’s drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas out on the Atlantic Ocean, finishing its 18th mission.
Liftoff!
Replace 8:37 p.m. EDT: SpaceX has launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink satellites from Launch Advanced 40 at Cape Canaveral House Pressure Station.
The primary-stage booster ought to land on a drone ship out on the Atlantic Ocean in 8½ minutes.
SpaceX reside launch webcast begins
Replace 8:33 p.m. EDT: SpaceX’s reside launch webcast hosted on X (previously Twitter) is now posted on the high of this web page.
Liftoff is scheduled in 4 minutes.
SpaceX launch solely 10 minutes away
Replace 8:27 p.m. EDT: With solely 10 minutes remaining earlier than SpaceX’s scheduled 8:37 p.m. EDT Falcon 9 launch, the countdown seems to be continuing as deliberate.
Fueling is effectively underway at Launch Advanced 40.
SpaceX booster to land on drone ship at sea
Update 8:16 p.m. EDT: Tonight’s mission marks the 18th flight for this Falcon 9 first-stage booster, SpaceX reports.
Following stage separation, the booster is slated to land on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas out on the Atlantic Ocean 8 minutes, 27 seconds after liftoff.
SpaceX Falcon 9 fueling now underway
Update 8:03 p.m. EDT: Falcon 9 fueling procedures are now underway at Launch Complex 40, SpaceX just announced.
This critical step means the Starlink 6-26 mission is now committed to lift off at 8:37 p.m. EDT, or else the launch must be postponed.
“All systems and weather are currently go for launch,” SpaceX officials announced.
SpaceX launch countdown timeline
Update 7:34 p.m. EDT: Here’s a behind-the-scenes rundown of SpaceX’s upcoming Falcon 9 countdown timeline. T-minus:
- 38 minutes: SpaceX launch director verifies “go” for propellant load.
- 35 minutes: Rocket-grade kerosene and first-stage liquid oxygen loading begins.
- 16 minutes: Second-stage liquid oxygen loading begins.
- 7 minutes: Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch.
- 1 minute: Command flight computer begins final prelaunch checks; propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins.
- 45 seconds: SpaceX launch director verifies “go” for launch.
- 3 seconds: Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start.
- 0 seconds: Liftoff.
SpaceX targeting Cape’s 60th launch of 2023
Update 7:14 p.m. EDT: Tonight’s Falcon 9 liftoff is slated to be the record-breaking 60th of the year from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center.
The previous record of 57 launches was established last year.
Space Force: 80% chance of good weather
The Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron pegs the odds of “go” launch weather at 80% at the Cape for the Starlink 6-26 mission. Scattered cumulous clouds ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 feet above ground level should dot the sky, with isolated showers and northeast winds of 15 to 20 mph at 200 feet of elevation.
“A strong surface high is settling over the eastern United States and providing continuous onshore flow over the Space Coast. The influence of this surface high will keep the mid-levels quite dry and confine moisture to the lower levels,” the launch forecast said.
“As a result, the Cumulus Cloud Rule will be the primary concern as onshore showers may move over the pad,” the forecast said.
More:See how SpaceX’s Starlink is driving record rocket launches on Florida’s Space Coast
When is the next scheduled launch from Florida’s Space Coast?
NASA’s SpaceX CRS-29 mission — a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station — is now targeted for launch at 8:28 p.m. EDT Thursday. This marks the second delay since Sunday’s former target launch time. Some quick facts:
- Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9.
- Location: Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center.
- Trajectory: Northeast.
- Weather: TBD.
- Landing: Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Landing Zone 1.
- Live coverage: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space.
- About: This marks SpaceX’s 29th commercial resupply mission for NASA to the ISS. A Dragon cargo capsule will deliver new science investigations, food, supplies and equipment to the international crew. The research includes laser communications and work to understand interactions between Earth’s weather and space.
For the latest schedule updates at the Cape, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or [email protected]. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
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