News

SpaceX crews at Cape Canaveral are preparing to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a new batch of Starlink Internet satellites. The launch, scheduled for Wednesday, August 16, will be the Space Coast’s 42nd launch this year. Liftoff is set for 8:14 p.m. EDT, with a four-hour launch window that extends until midnight. In case of any issues, there is another launch opportunity available 24 hours later on Thursday, August 17.

The weather outlook for the launch initially showed a 20% chance of favorable conditions, but that has since increased to 65%. The launch will take place at Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket will follow a southeast trajectory between Florida and the Bahamas.

The payload for this mission is the next batch of Starlink Internet-beaming satellites. These satellites will help expand SpaceX’s global broadband network. Notably, there will be no local sonic booms associated with this launch. After liftoff, the 130-foot first-stage booster will land on a drone in the ocean approximately eight minutes later.

Looking ahead, the next scheduled Falcon 9 launch from Florida will carry NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station. This mission is set for liftoff on August 25 from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The crew, consisting of NASA astronaut Jasmine Mokbeli, European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Duchenne Dovraktin, will embark on a six-month science mission on the ISS.

SpaceX may also plan another Starlink mission in the near future, but specific launch dates have not yet been announced. For the latest information on launches, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.

The post SpaceX Set to Launch Starlink Internet Satellites from Cape Canaveral appeared first on ISP Today.