SpaceX plans to launch a Falcon 9 carrying twenty-three Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center’s Pad LC-39A early Saturday morning. The launch window for the Falcon 9’s “return to flight” opens at 12:21 AM EDT on July 27 and extends until 04:21 AM the same day. If needed, the company has a backup launch window at the same time, twenty-four hours later, on July 28.
SpaceX official announcement
SpaceX is targeting Saturday, July 27 for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 12:21 a.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 4:21 a.m. ET. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Sunday, July 28 starting at the same time.
The launch will be SpaceX’s 73rd launch of 2024, and its 14th launch from LC-39A this year. Overall, it will 384th SpaceX launch all time. This flight will be the first since the Starlink 9-3 mishap on July 11.
At A Glance
- Mission: Starlink 10-9
- Date: NET July 27, 2024
- Launch Window: 12:21 AM – 04:21 AM EDT*
- Weather: 85% Go during the primary launch window
- Organization: SpaceX
- Rocket: Falcon 9
- Trajectory: Northeastward
- Launch Site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center
- Payload: Communications satellite to geosynchronous orbit.
- Destination: Low-Earth Orbit
* consult SpaceX website for the specific target for T-0.
Payload
The payload for this mission is a familiar one: twenty-three Starlink satellites. Once deployed and operational, the satellites will join SpaceX’s Starlink constellation that provides Internet connectivity to over three million subscribers in over 100 countries globally.
Each Starlink satellite has a lifespan of approximately five years.
Photo: SpaceX
Weather
Weather is looking good, considering that it is the Dog Days of summer in Florida, which means that inclement weather is a threat anywhere at any time.
As such, the 45th Weather Squadron states, “The western Atlantic ridge axis is north of the Spaceport with deep onshore flow continuing to drive the east coast seabreeze quickly inland each afternoon. Lingering effects from Saharan dust will keep conditions drier than normal, with lower chances for overnight coastal showers. The primary weather concern for an attempt early Saturday morning is the Cumulus Cloud Rule associated with a stray coastal shower.”
They are rating the chances of a weather-related scrub at 15% in the primary launch window, meaning there is an 85% chance of acceptable conditions during the launch window.
Trajectory
The trajectory for the Starlink 10-9 mission is northeastward, or right-to-left if you are on the Space Coast and facing in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean.
Landing
After completing its part of the mission, the first stage booster will land offshore on the Automated Spaceport Drone Ship ‘Just Read The Instructions.’
As such, there will be no sonic boom on the Space Coast.
