CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.– SpaceX will release its first complete stack of Starlink broadband satellites given that May tonight (Sept. 13) and you can see the action live online. The personal spaceflight business will introduce a full stack of 60 Starlink satellites on one of its fleet leaders, a veteran Falcon 9 called B1049. The regular flier is arranged to launch from Space Launch Complex 4 at Vandenberg Space Force Station in California at 11:55 p.m. EDT (8:55 p.m. PDT or 0355 GMT on Sept. 14). You can view the launch live here and on the Space.com homepage, thanks to SpaceX, beginning about 15 minutes before liftoff. You can also enjoy the launch straight via SpaceX and on YouTube.Related: SpaceXs Starlink satellite megaconstellation launches in photosA Falcon 9 rocket introduced 52 Starlink satellites from Florida on May 26, 2021. (Image credit: SpaceX)Mondays flight is the 22nd Falcon 9 objective for SpaceX so far in 2021. In addition, the flight marks the very first Starlink launch since May; SpaceX stopped briefly launches for about 4 months in order to gear up the satellites with laser crosslinks that allow Starlink satellites to interact with each other, minimizing the constellations dependence in the world, according to SpaceX.The mission, called Starlink 29, is the businesss first functional Starlink flight from its West Coast launch facility and will bring the total number of SpaceX broadband satellites launched up to 1,797. SpaceX created its Starlink program in hopes of supplying high-speed web access to users worldwide, and as a method to help money its deep-space ambitions. The service is targeted to users in rural or remote locations that have little to no connectivity, although anyone can register for it.The rocket doing the lifting is one of the earliest members of SpaceXs fleet, a booster designated B1049. Poised to make its 10th flight, the rockets previous payloads have actually included 7 other Starlink stacks, a Canadian interactions satellite and a stack of 10 Iridium NEXT telecommunications satellites. Following its second cross-country trek from SpaceXs Florida launch pad to its California station, the booster is now all set to loft its 10th payload: a complete stack of Starlink satellites. This flight will mark the second time among SpaceXs very first phase boosters have reached 10 flights. The very first rocket to reach that turning point was booster B1051, when it brought a various stack of Starlink satellites into orbit on May 9. That flight was one for the history books as 10 flights with one booster was always a reusability target for SpaceX. The present variation of Falcon 9 flying today (called Block 5) first debuted in 2018, and helped SpaceX introduce an age of quick reusability. Block 5 boasts a series of upgrades, including a more robust thermal securities system, titanium grid fins and a more long lasting interstage (the part of the rocket that connects the very first phase to the second phase). When Block 5 debuted, SpaceX announced that each one would be capable of flying at least 10 times, with couple of refurbishments in between. As the business recovered more rockets and refined its post-flight processing, the company understood that 10 flights was more a guideline than a tough limit which a significant number of boosters can exceed that milestone. By flying a second rocket 10 times, SpaceX will have a lot more data on Falcon 9 and how it holds up over numerous flights to better fine-tune booster healing efforts. Related: SpaceXs most-flown Falcon 9 rocket is a sooty veteran after 10 launches and landings (photos)To make sure that B1049 is prepared for its turning point flight this night, SpaceX rolled the rocket out to the pad on Sept. 2 and fired up the Falcons nine Merlin 1D engines as part of a pre-launch test. The rocket was held down on the pad while its engines briefly fired up, permitting engineers to make sure the booster was working appropriately. The fixed fire test is a typical part of SpaceXs prelaunch procedures; nevertheless, the business has avoided this step for majority of the Falcon 9 rockets released up until now this year. Because most of the rockets flown so far this year have actually flown numerous times, that might be. It might likewise be since SpaceX is attempting to maintain a rapid launch speed, and needing to do a static fire test before each one slows down the schedule. With a big turning point on the horizon, SpaceX desired to make sure that B1049s systems were all in order. Mondays launch marks the 128th flight for SpaceXs 229-foot-tall (70 meters) Falcon 9 booster, and if all goes as prepared, it will also be the 91st healing of a Falcon 9 very first phase booster since the business landed its very first one in December 2015. SpaceX prepares to land B1049 on the deck of one of its massive drone ships, named “Of Course I Still Love You,” which the company transferred to the West Coast this summer. The ship was formerly stationed in Florida, where it captured most of SpaceXs returning boosters. Follow Amy Thompson on Twitter @astrogingersnap. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
You can also watch the launch straight through SpaceX and on YouTube.Related: SpaceXs Starlink satellite megaconstellation launches in photosA Falcon 9 rocket released 52 Starlink satellites from Florida on May 26, 2021. (Image credit: SpaceX)Mondays flight is the 22nd Falcon 9 objective for SpaceX so far in 2021. Following its second cross-country trek from SpaceXs Florida launch pad to its California station, the booster is now all set to loft its 10th payload: a full stack of Starlink satellites. Related: SpaceXs most-flown Falcon 9 rocket is a sooty veteran after 10 launches and landings (photos)To guarantee that B1049 is ready for its turning point flight this evening, SpaceX rolled the rocket out to the pad on Sept. 2 and fired up the Falcons 9 Merlin 1D engines as part of a pre-launch test. The fixed fire test is a common part of SpaceXs prelaunch procedures; nevertheless, the company has actually avoided this step for more than half of the Falcon 9 rockets released so far this year.
