SpaceX planned two Starlink satellite launches Wednesday on Falcon 9 rockets, like the one pictured here — one from Florida in the morning and another from California in the evening. File Photo by Joe Marino/UPI | License Photo
SpaceX on Wednesday plans to launch 43 Starlink satellites from Florida and California.
The Florida liftoff from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center will be at 11 a.m. EDT, with backup times available until 2:42 p.m. Advertisement
The California launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base is set for 10:48 p.m. EDT, with backups until 1:30 a.m. if needed.
The company’s Falcon 9 rocket will send 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from Florida. It will be the third flight for the first-stage booster supporting the mission. It was used previously to launch Crew-8 and another Starlink mission.
That booster will land on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean.
The California lift-off Wednesday evening Pacific Time will propel 20 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. According to SpaceX, 13 of them will have Direct To Cell capabilities.
The booster used in the California mission will be its fourth flight. It previously launched USSF-62 and two Starlink missions.
When that booster stage separates from the rocket it will land on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean. Advertisement
The two planned Wednesday launches follow a Monday launch of 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
That one was delayed from the originally planned 12:36 p.m. to 2:14 p.m. and no explanation for the delay was given. The first stage booster used Monday was on its 15th flight.
SpaceX re-uses first-stage boosters to cut costs.
The launches will be live streamed at Spacex.com.
