SpaceX’s reliable Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 48 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit on Friday, July 7. The launch took place at 12:29 p.m. PT from the Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
This mission marked the twelfth flight for the first stage booster, demonstrating its reliability and reusability. The booster has a history of supporting key missions, including the launch of Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, DART, Transporter-7, and Iridium OneWeb. This recent launch adds eight Starlink missions to its impressive track record.
The successful deployment of the Starlink satellites further expands SpaceX’s constellation, bringing the company one step closer to its goal of providing high-speed internet connectivity across the globe.
This was SpaceX’s 205th overall landing of an orbital-class rocket.
As for the next launch? SpaceX has scheduled a Falcon 9 launch for Sunday, July 9, with the aim of deploying 22 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. The launch is set to take place at 4:36 a.m. ET (8:36 UTC) from the Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida.
Should the need arise, additional launch windows are available on the same day at 5:27 a.m. ET, 6:17 a.m. ET, 7:08 a.m. ET, and 7:58 a.m. ET. Furthermore, backup opportunities are also in place for Sunday, July 9, starting from 8:36 p.m. ET, with subsequent windows at 9:27 p.m. ET, 10:17 p.m. ET, and 11:58 p.m. ET. All backup UTC launch times fall on Monday, July 10.
The mission will mark the 16th flight for the first stage booster, which has a history of supporting significant missions, including Crew Demo-2, ANASIS-II, CRS-21, Transporter-1, Transporter-3, and ten Starlink missions. After stage separation, the first stage is planned to land on the ‘Just Read the Instructions’ droneship, positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.
