SpaceX To Launch 24 Starlink Satellites On Falcon 9 Rocket From Vandenberg SFB

A file picture of a Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Image: SpaceX.

Update April 29, 7:46 pm EDT (2346 UTC): SpaceX pushed again the T-0 liftoff time.

Following a profitable Falcon Heavy launch from Florida on Wednesday morning, SpaceX is ready to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from California Wednesday night.

The Starlink 17-36 mission will add one other 24 broadband web satellites to the corporate’s huge low Earth orbit constellation. This is the 51st mission sending Starlink satellites into area this 12 months.

Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base is scheduled for 7:42:49 pm PDT (10:42:49 pm EDT / 0242:49 UTC). The rocket will fly on a south-southwesterly trajectory upon leaving the pad.

Spaceflight Now can have dwell protection starting about half-hour prior to liftoff.

SpaceX is launching the mission utilizing the Falcon booster with the tail quantity B1093. This might be its thirteenth flight following Transporter-16, two missions for the Space Development Agency, and 10 earlier batches of Starlink satellites.

A bit of greater than eight minutes after liftoff, B1093 will goal a touchdown on the drone ship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You’, positioned within the Pacific Ocean. If profitable, this would be the 194th touchdown on this vessel and the 606th booster touchdown to date for SpaceX.