SpaceX Set for Launch of 21 New Starlink Satellites from Florida

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX is gearing up to launch 21 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit this Sunday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at 11:42 p.m. EST (0442 UTC), with live coverage available on Spaceflight Now starting an hour before the launch.

The 45th Weather Squadron at Patrick Space Force Base has forecast a 75% chance of favorable conditions for the launch. Meteorologists noted that while high-pressure systems are diminishing, they are being replaced by a developing low-pressure area in the Gulf. They mentioned, “The main violation concern remains the Thick Cloud Layers Rule, especially later in the launch window,” indicating potential cloud cover as the launch approaches.

This mission will utilize a new Falcon 9 first-stage booster, designated B1092. The booster was seen rolling past the Kennedy Space Center’s Press Site on Friday following its involvement with the Starlink 12-14 mission. Approximately eight minutes after liftoff, B1092 is expected to target a landing on the droneship ‘Just Read the Instructions’ stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. If the landing is successful, it will mark the 111th landing on that droneship and the 413th overall for the Falcon 9 program.

Among the payload are 13 satellites equipped with Direct to Cell capabilities, increasing Starlink’s coverage and functionality. SpaceX has been expanding its Starlink constellation significantly over the past year as part of its effort to provide global internet coverage.

In recent developments, NASA and U.S. military officials are reviewing a malfunction that caused a premature engine shutdown during an earlier Falcon 9 flight involving a GPS navigation satellite. This review is a precautionary measure ahead of future missions that include carrying astronauts aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft.

In related news, a successful launch earlier this week saw a Falcon 9 rocket deliver 23 Starlink satellites to orbit, with the first-stage booster successfully landing on the droneship ‘Just Read the Instructions’ off the coast of the Bahamas. This marked a historic first for the Bahamas as a landing site for SpaceX, underscoring a new partnership that is expected to open up further opportunities in international space operations.

Isaac Chester Cooper, Deputy Prime Minister of the Bahamas, commented, “This is huge. It puts us at the cutting edge of innovation and gives us a small country of 400,000 people an opportunity to participate in the aerospace industry.”

As SpaceX continues its aggressive launch schedule, it remains on track to meet its goals for satellite deployments and is focusing on increasing efficiencies in both launch and recovery operations.