Tag: April 17

SpaceX Has Nearly 6,000 Starlink Satellites on Orbit Following Sunday’s Falcon 9 Launch

Spaceflght Now reports that the milestone comes as a result of the 34th dedicated Starlink launch of the year for SpaceX. “Liftoff of the Starlink 6-58 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 happened at 8:53 p.m. EDT (0053 UTC). This was SpaceX’s 34th dedicated Starlink launch of 2024,” which placed another 23 Starlink satellites into orbit, bringing the total number in orbit to 5,999.
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 

Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches on Next Starlink Mission

Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX completed its latest Falcon 9 launch from pad 39A NASA’s Kennedy Space Center early Wednesday evening. The Starlink 6-51 mission came about a week-and-a-half after the launch of its first Bandwagon-1 rideshare mission from that same launch pad.” Liftoff occurred at 5:26 p.m. EDT.
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 

Video

SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 with 23 Starlink satellites from pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

SpaceX Plans Starship Launch as Early as Monday

The Orlando Sentinel reports that SpaceX doesn’t plan a launch pad run-through for its Starship and Super Heavy rocket, which has a target date of April 17 for its suborbital test launch from Boca Chica, Texas, although the company has yet to receive FAA approval. Under the flight plan, the booster will launch east over the Gulf of Mexico, separate, and make a water, while “Starship will then progress on a suborbital path around more than 2/3 of the planet before also attempting a water landing near Hawaii.”
Full Story (Orlando Sentinel)