SpaceX will proceed to check the bounds of its Falcon 9 rocket with its subsequent launch of Starlink satellites. The Starlink 6-69 mission options 24 of the V2 Mini number of the satellite tv for pc, probably the most flown on a single Falcon 9 launch.
Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Area Drive Station is ready for Sunday, Nov. 10, at 4:28 p.m. EST (2128 UTC). If wanted, SpaceX has launch alternatives that final till 8:28 p.m. EST (0128 UTC).
Spaceflight Now may have stay protection starting about an hour previous to liftoff.
The forty fifth Climate Squadron forecast pretty idilic situations for launch on Sunday. Launch climate officers mentioned there needs to be a 90 % probability of favorable climate in the course of the launch window.
“The big excessive strain system to the northeast continues to persist via the weekend, leading to constant onshore move for the east coast of Florida. It will carry a reasonably regular stream of shallow cumulus clouds all through the interval, together with very remoted showers,” meteorologists wrote. “By late Sunday the excessive strain will start to weaken and exit to the east permitting a weak tropical trough to enter the area from the south.”
The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail quantity B1080 within the SpaceX fleet, will likely be launching for a twelfth time. It beforehand supported the launches of 4 missions to the Worldwide Area Station (Ax-2, Ax-3, Cygnus NG-21 and CRS-30), the European Area Company’s (ESA) Euclid observatory, the SES 24 communications satellite tv for pc and 4 prior Starlink missions.
Just a little greater than eight minutes after liftoff, B1080 will land on the SpaceX droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’ If profitable, this may mark the 84th touchdown on ASOG and the 365th booster touchdown up to now.
Ramping up launches
The launch of 24 Starlink satellites comes as SpaceX seems to ramp up its launch cadence to get as shut a potential to the aim it set in the beginning of the yr of 144 missions – a goal it admits it may well not attain. Sunday’s mission would be the firm’s third launch in 4 days and it plans to launch a Korean communications satellite tv for pc Monday, adopted by two extra Starlink supply missions earlier than the tip of the week.
Starlink 6-69 will likely be SpaceX’s 107th Falcon 9 rocket launch this yr between its two launch pads in Florida and single pad in California.
Following a launch from Vandenberg Area Drive Base on Friday at 10:14 p.m. PDT (1:14 a.m. EST, 0614 UTC on Saturday), Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX’s vp of launch, mentioned that the corporate was just lately authorized to launch as much as 50 instances this yr from VSFB.
“Don’t get it twisted… @SpaceX and @SpaceForceDoD are dedicated to nationwide safety AND defending the surroundings,” Dontchev mentioned in a publish on X, previously Twitter. “As a part of the approval for elevated cadence, we’re implementing a really sturdy and detailed species monitoring and mitigation program.
“We’ll use information and science, not politics, to guard our planet as we push additional into the photo voltaic system and make life multi-planetary!”
Superb work by the @SpaceX west coast crew on launch #37(!!!) from Vandenberg this yr. We’re so grateful for our wonderful partnership with the @SLDelta30, @SpaceForceDoD, and @DeptofDefense. A lot effort from all events went into clearing the best way for elevated launch… https://t.co/sZERa6JdAr
— Kiko Dontchev (@TurkeyBeaver) November 9, 2024
Again in mid-October, the Los Angeles Occasions reported that the California Coastal Fee rejected a request by SpaceX to extend their variety of permitted launch to 50. The proposal was additionally backed by U.S. Area Drive and U.S. Air Drive officers.
The pushback from commissioners was reportedly related to the ramped up political exercise by SpaceX Founder Elon Musk within the lead as much as the presidential election.
“This firm is owned by the richest particular person on the planet with direct management of what might be probably the most expansive communications system within the planet,” Commissioner Mike Wilson mentioned. “Simply final week that particular person was speaking about political retribution.”
The fee additionally mentioned SpaceX wanted to do extra within the realm of environmental monitoring and mitigation efforts. The L.A. Occasions reported that navy personnel did agree “to extend monitoring and to arrange an interagency working group that features U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the Nationwide Marine Fisheries Service and the Federal Aviation Administration to deal with issues because the variety of launches will increase.”
The Occasions additionally famous that SpaceX has plans to extend as much as 100 launches from California in 2025.
