SpaceX Lofts 22 More Starlink Satellites and Sets Turnaround Record

SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster 1078 Lifts Off on Aug. 6 2023. Photo by Charles Boyer for FMN

After a couple of short delays, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 last night from Cape Canaveral, Florida, lofting Starlink 6-8 — twenty-two second-generation Starlink satellites to orbit. The launch was picture-perfect, with the rocket clearly visible for several minutes after liftoff and even well past staging. Thunderstorms well off to the north and east-southeast added to the light show, with dozens of lightning strokes clearly visible but far away enough not to violate any range safety rules.

SpaceX Falcon 9, Intelsat Galaxy 37, August 3, 2023

(Cape Canaveral Florida) SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 carrying Intelsat’s Galaxy 37 communications satellite at 1:00 am EDT on August 3, 2023, after short delays due to weather in the area. Liftoff was scheduled initially for 12:15 am, but small rain showers on or near Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s SLC-40 violated launch criteria, leading to two changes in the planned T-0 time.

NASA Sets New Launch Date For Crew-7 Mission

Crew-5 Lifts Off Carrying Astronauts to the International Space Station on October 5, 2022. Photo by: Charles Boyer

(Kennedy Space Center) NASA and SpaceX announced today that they are targeting Monday, August 21 at 5:23 am EDT to launch the Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station. The launch was initially scheduled for late July but was shifted to no earlier than August 17 in order to allow for additional launch pad processing at SpaceX’s LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center.