Update: New Launch Window opens 3/14/24 7:04 PM EDT
Photo: Charles Boyer / FMN
SpaceX plans to launch the Starlink 6-44 mission tonight, Thursday, March 14, aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
The payload will be another tranche of 23 Starlink satellites that will be ferried low-Earth orbit from pad LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. According to the company, “liftoff is targeted for 7:04 PM EDT, with backup opportunities available until 11:29 PM EDT.
Weather
The 45th Weather Squadron has released a Probability of Violation forecast calling for a 40% Probability of Violation for tonight’s launch. According to forecasters “primary weather concerns for a Wednesday evening launch will be for the Thick Cloud Layer Rule and Cumulus Cloud Rule.”
Retrieved March 13, 2024
Trajectory
Southeast, as has been customary for Group 6 Starlink payloads.
Landing
Landing is planned to be on the autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS) ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ (ASOG) which is stationed in the Atlantic Ocean northeast of the Bahamas.
After the landing, ASOG will return to Port Canaveral with the booster. It will then be returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility on Roberts Road inside Kennedy Space Center for inspection, refurbishment and preparation for its next mission.
Booster: B1062
Booster B1062 will be making its 19th flight. It last launched 44 days ago.
B1062 was first used for a GPS launch in 2020, and its last launch was in January of this year when it launched Starlink 6-38. Its most notable missions are Inspiration 4 and Axiom-1, both of which were crewed.
| Flight | Mission | Date |
| 1 | GPS III SV04 “Sacagawea” | 11/05/2020 |
| 2 | GPS III SV05 “Neil Armstrong” | 06/17/2021 |
| 3 | Inspiration 4 | 09/16/2021 |
| 4 | Starlink 4-5 | 01/06/2022 |
| 5 | Axiom-1 | 04/08/2022 |
| 6 | Starlink 4-16 | 04/29/2022 |
| 7 | Nilesat-301 | 06/08/2022 |
| 8 | Starlink 4-25 | 07/24/2022 |
| 9 | Starlink 4-27 | 08/19/2022 |
| 10 | Starlink 4-36 | 10/20/2022 |
| 11 | Starlink 5-1 | 12/28/2022 |
| 12 | Starlink 5-4 | 02/12/2023 |
| 13 | OneWeb 17 | 03/09/2023 |
| 14 | ArabSat 7B | 05/27/2023 |
| 15 | Starlink 6-7 | 07/28/2023 |
| 16 | Starlink 6-23 | 10/18/2023 |
| 17 | Starlink 6-30 | 11/28/2023 |
| 18 | Starlink 6-38 | 01/29/2024 |
Online Viewing
A live webcast of this mission will begin on SpaceX’s X account feed about five minutes prior to liftoff.
Watch live on X.
SpaceX’s official web page has links to live coverage as well as up-to-date planned launch times. Starlink 6-44 Mission Page.
Spaceflight Now will begin its live launch feed one hour prior to liftoff.
SFN on Youtube.
Launch Viewing: In Person
Tomorrow’s launch is from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center, which means that the best direct views of liftoff are at either the Max Brewer Bridge in Titusville, or the northern parks on US-1 in Titusville.
The ascending rocket will also be visible on the beaches after liftoff when Falcon 9 clears any obstructions.
Weather is forecast to be in the 70º’s around launch time.
Note: this article was originally published by the author at Talk of Titusville and is shared with permission
