SpaceX Launches Starlink 8-9 Mission Early This Morning From Cape Canaveral

Falcon 9 rises over a ghost boat on the Banana River on July 3, 2024
Photo: Charles Boyer / Florida Media Now

SpaceX successfully launched another group of Starlink satellites into orbit this morning from its Space Launch Complex 40 facility to open the second half of the year. Liftoff was at 4:55 AM EDT.

Around 8:20 minutes after liftoff, the first-stage booster used for the mission, tail number B1073, touched down safely on ASDS ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’, stationed downrange in the Atlantic Ocean near the Carolinas. After landing, B1073 has now flown sixteen successful missions. ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ will now return to Port Canaveral, where the booster will be unloaded, transported to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility at Kennedy Space Center, and prepared for its next flight after inspection and refurbishment.

Launch Replay

Graphic: SpaceIntel101.com
Graphic: SpaceIntel101.com

Payload

According to SpaceX, tonight’s payload is “20 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.”

Booster B1073.16 Record

Booster B1073May 12, 2024
FlightMissionDate
1Starlink 4-15May 14, 2022
2SES-22June 29, 2022
3Starlink 4-26August 10, 2022
4Starlink 4-35September 24, 2022
5HAKUTO-RDecember 11, 2022
6Amazonus NexusFebruary 7, 2023
7CRS-27March 15, 2023
8Starlink 6-2April 19, 2023
9Starlink 5-11June 12, 2023
10Starlink 6-12September 4, 2023
11Starlink 6-27November 8, 2023
12Starlink 6-37January 15, 2024
13Starlink 6-41March 4, 2024
14Bandwagon-1April 7, 2024
15Starlink 6-58May 12, 2024
16Starlink 8-9July 3, 2024
Booster B1073 flight record as of July 3, 2024

Next Launch

SpaceX will send a satellite built in Türkiye to geosynchronous orbit. Once commissioned, it will provide services to customers in Türkiye, Europe, the Northern coast of Africa, the Middle East, India, and Indonesia.

  • Date: NET July 7, 2024
  • Organization: SpaceX
  • Mission: Türksat 6A
  • Rocket: Falcon 9
  • Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
  • Launch Window: 5:20 PM EDT
  • Payload: Communications satellite

Author

  • I'm a NASA kid originally from Cocoa Beach, FL, born of Project Apollo. My family worked for NASA and/or their contractors, and I watched it all as a kid. And what kid doesn't like rockets? Currently, I am an IT engineer, a recovered R&D scientist that spent time in laser metrology, fiber optic applications and also lightning protection. I'm also a photographer, a writer and a bad musician. My favorite things are space, boating, sports, music and traveling. You can find me on Twitter as @TheOldManPar.

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