A Falcon 9 loaded with Starlink satellites is preparing for launch.
SpaceX
SpaceX is again aiming to send two different Falcon 9 rockets into space this week loaded with their Starlink broadband satellites within about 26 hours.
At the moment, Elon Musk’s company is scheduled to ship its 19th batch of Starlink routers to low Earth orbit from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 7:59 pm PT (10:59 pm ET) on Monday. The 20th lot is set to take off from the adjacent Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday at 9:55 pm Pacific time (12:55 pm Wednesday, Eastern time).
The company had planned to launch two batches of Florida Starlinks a few hours apart earlier this month, but one of those missions has been delayed. (This release is now scheduled for Tuesday night.)
These launches and the drone landings that follow them are becoming routine for SpaceX, but Musk would like to see the pace of launches increase. The FCC license to Starlink to operate requires 2,212 of its satellites to be operational in March next year.
So far, more than 1,000 of the small satellites have been sent into space, but it is unclear how many are currently operational. Regardless, it appears that if SpaceX manages to make at least two Starlink launches per month, it should be able to achieve its goal.
Only two Starlink missions have been carried out so far in 2021, but the company can quickly pick up speed if it hits both missions this week.
Due to the bad weather tonight, now targeting Monday, February 15th at 10:59 pm EST for the launch of Falcon 9 out of 60 Starlink satellites
– SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 15, 2021
Of course, these releases tend to slip. Monday night’s launch has already been delayed a few times, most recently on Sunday due to bad weather.
Whenever the next release is imminent, we will incorporate the live stream here. Typically, it goes on the air about ten minutes before launch.
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