SpaceX Launches Falcon 9 to Deploy Latest Starlink Satellites

SpaceX is set to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral in the early hours of Saturday, October 7, 2023. This mission aims to expand the company’s Starlink internet service, which already comprises over 9,000 satellites. Liftoff is scheduled for 1:59 a.m. EST (0659 UTC) during a four-hour launch window, marking the ninth of as many as eleven Starlink missions planned for this month.

The launch will occur from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. According to the 45th Weather Squadron, the forecast indicates near-perfect conditions, with less than a five-percent chance of weather-related delays. Spaceflight Now will provide live coverage starting one hour prior to the launch.

After takeoff, the Falcon 9 will adopt a south-easterly trajectory to deploy its payload of 29 Starlink V2 satellites into an orbit inclined at 43 degrees to the Equator. The mission will utilize booster B1090, which is on its ninth flight. Following separation from the Falcon 9’s second stage at an altitude of approximately 40 miles (65 kilometers), B1090 will continue to ascend over the Atlantic Ocean, crossing the Karman line, the recognized boundary of space. The booster will then return to Earth, landing on the drone ship named A Shortfall of Gravitas.

The Falcon 9’s second stage is expected to ignite for around six minutes to place the Starlink satellites into a parking orbit. After coasting for about 45 minutes, a final one-second burn of its Merlin Vacuum engine will circularize the orbit. The satellite separation will occur approximately one hour and five minutes into the flight, placing them into a 170×162 mile (274×261 kilometers) orbit.

Additionally, another 28 satellites are scheduled for launch from the West Coast on Sunday morning, continuing SpaceX’s aggressive deployment strategy for its expanding constellation. As the company moves forward with its mission to provide global internet coverage, the significance of these launches continues to grow, reflecting the increasing reliance on satellite technology in communication networks worldwide.