SpaceX is preparing to launch a batch of Starlink satellites using a booster that ran into technical problems during the final seconds of its latest launch attempt. The launch is the first of the month for the company, which aims to average 12 Falcon flights per month in 2024.
Liftoff of the Starlink 8-9 mission from Pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is set for 2:57 a.m. EDT (0657 UTC). It will add 20 more Starlink satellites to the growing mega-constellation.
Spaceflight Now will have a live broadcast about an hour before liftoff.
Going into the launch attempt, the 45th Weather Squadron predicted an 80 percent chance of favorable weather during the roughly four-hour launch window. The only potential concern will be the presence of cumulus clouds in the area near the site.
If, for some reason, SpaceX fails to launch the Starlink 8-9 mission on Wednesday morning, it appears that they will cease until the Independence Day holiday in the United States. The next available launch opportunity noted by the company is as late as Sunday, July 7 at 04:28 EDT (0428 UTC).
The first booster stage supporting this mission, B1073 in the SpaceX fleet, will be launched for the 16th time. It previously launched ispace’s HAKUTO-R lunar lander, SpaceX’s 27th Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-27) mission, and 10 Starlink missions.
Just over eight minutes after liftoff, B1073 will land on the SpaceX drone ship, “A Shortfall of Gravitas.” This will be ASOG’s 76th landing and 327th booster landing to date.
While B1073’s last launch was Starlink mission 6-58 on May 13, 2024, its most recent launch attempt was on June 14 when it attempted to launch Starlink mission 10-2. It was stalled over the course of three launch attempts in as many days, culminating in an abort as the Merlin’s engines began firing before liftoff.
The next day, Kiko Donchev, SpaceX’s vice president of launch, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the booster had a “real problem” that required them to “go and inspect the hardware in detail.” He also noted that the problem created the first week without a Falcon launch “in a long time.”
Here are the moments leading up to the ignition of the engine and the final termination of Starlink 10-2 at the time of T-0.
I am watching: pic.twitter.com/a8wVmKFr9x
— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) June 14, 2024
That quiet stretch lasted from June 8 to 18, when SpaceX launched the Starlink 9-1 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, marking SpaceX’s first back-to-back launches from Vandenberg without a flight from Florida in between.
Despite the setback, SpaceX still launched 10 Falcon rockets in June, including the Falcon Heavy that carried the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) GOES-U satellite on June 25.
“We only launched 10 times in June, but in the second quarter we had a total of 36 successful flights,” Donchev wrote to X. “All of our goals are still very achievable as long as we put safety and reliability first.”
SpaceX entered the year with a goal of achieving 144 launches or more by the end of the year. With June in the rearview mirror, here’s where they currently stand for Falcon flights:
- January – 10
- February – 9
- March – 12
- April – 12
- May – 14
- June – 10
If SpaceX maintains the same overall pace through the end of the year, it will achieve 134 launches with its Falcon rockets (Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy).
We haven’t landed on Mars yet, but this photo makes it feel like we’re getting closer
Our 67th and final launch of the month. We only launched 10 times in June, but in the second quarter there were a total of 36 successful flights. All of our goals are still very achievable as long as we stay safe… https://t.co/XMZKxWTiZC
— Kiko Donchev (@TurkeyBeaver) June 29, 2024
Starlink expansion
Wednesday morning’s planned launch also continues to support the ever-expanding Starlink megaconstellation into low Earth orbit. The Starlink 8-9 mission will be the 49th dedicated mission to launch these satellites in 2024 and the 111th launch of the V2 Mini version of Starlink to date.
Among the 20 launched satellites are 13 that have the Direct to Cell capability. This launch will bring the total number of DTC Starlinks to 103. After the last launch with DTC Starlink satellites on board, Sarah Spangelo, senior director of SpaceX, expressed her excitement about X reaching the 90 satellite mark.
“I’m thrilled with how quickly we’re deploying and how soon we’ll be able to serve customers with ubiquitous connectivity directly to their phones!” Spangelo wrote.
The company’s Starlink division also welcomes Madagascar to its internet coverage. Michael Nichols, vice president of Starlink Engineering, said this is the 101st market for the satellite Internet provider.
Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet is now available in Madagascar! 🛰️🇲🇬❤️ → https://t.co/7eyKGH8SZu pic.twitter.com/AEm2Z26s5d
— Starlink (@Starlink) June 27, 2024
