SpaceX Launches 28 Starlink Satellites from Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral, Florida — SpaceX is set to launch its Falcon 9 rocket today, May 14, at 12:38 p.m. EDT (1638 UTC) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission, known as Starlink 6-67, aims to deploy 28 more Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites, adding to the over 7,400 currently in low Earth orbit.

The 45th Weather Squadron has predicted an excellent weather outlook, with a 95 percent chance of favorable conditions during the ascent. Meteorologists have noted, “High pressure will build in from the west through the rest of the week,” suggesting benign weather across the Spaceport with a minimal risk of cumulus cloud violations.

Falcon 9 booster 1090 will handle today’s launch, marking its fourth mission. The booster has previously been used for NASA’s Crew-10, Bandwagon-3 rideshare, and SES’s O3b mPOWER 7 and 8 satellites. After liftoff, it is set to land on the droneship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas,’ positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.

If the landing is successful, it will represent the 109th booster landing for that droneship and the 447th overall for SpaceX.

This launch follows SpaceX’s recent accomplishments, including its 900th Starlink satellite launched this year. That mission, Starlink 6-91, occurred on May 10 and added another 28 satellites to the constellation.

Elon Musk announced on Monday the upcoming introduction of a new rocket landing platform off Florida’s Space Coast. This will rotate with another droneship stationed at Cape Canaveral.

Stay tuned for live coverage of the launch, which is expected to occur shortly after lunch.