SpaceX squeezes in Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites from the Cape following Crew-8 astronaut delay – Spaceflight Now

SpaceX squeezes in Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites from the Cape following Crew-8 astronaut delay – Spaceflight Now

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A Falcon 9 rocket stands on the heart of House Launch Complicated 40 forward of the deliberate launch of the Starlink 6-40 mission on Feb. 29, 2024. Picture: Spaceflight Now

SpaceX is taking advantage of a climate delay to an astronaut launch from Florida’s House Coast. The corporate is making ready to launch a batch of Starlink satellites from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral House Drive Station on Thursday morning.

The Leap Day launch of the Starlink 6-40 mission will add one other 23 Starlink Model 2 Mini satellites to the rising low Earth orbit constellation. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from House Launch Complicated 40 is about for 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 UTC).

Spaceflight Now could have stay protection starting about an hour earlier than liftoff.

About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the primary stage booster, tail quantity B1076, will land on the droneship ‘Simply Learn the Directions,’ which is positioned within the Atlantic Ocean. This would be the eleventh flight of this booster and the 73rd touchdown for this droneship.

The launch on Thursday is simply potential as a result of poor climate out within the Atlantic Ocean a lot farther north. Launch climate forecasters predicted that if a mid-flight abort have been obligatory throughout the ascent of the Crew-8 mission to the Worldwide House Station, situations could be unsafe for the restoration crew and the astronauts inside the Crew Dragon spacecraft.

NASA and SpaceX pivoted to a brand new goal launch date of March 2 for that mission.

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