22 more V2 mini Starlink satellites are set to launch atop a Falcon 9 on Sunday, August 6th. The launch is currently scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET (01:00 UTC on August 7) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
SpaceX is keeping up with its high cadence of launches, with this launch coming just three days after their last launch from SLC-40, which was the successful Galaxy-37/Horizons-4 mission.
Targeting Sunday, August 6 for Falcon 9’s launch of 22 @Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Florida → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 4, 2023
This batch of Starlinks, Group 6-8, will be launched on a South Easterly trajectory and into a 43-degree orbital inclination with planned separation from the 2nd stage just over an hour after lift-off. A successful launch will bring the total number of Starlink satellites launched to 4,903 of which there are currently 3,814 in their operational orbits.
The Falcon 9 tasked with this mission is Booster 1078, and it will be making its fourth flight since its debut in March 2023. B1078 has launched the Crew-6 mission for NASA, O3b mPOWER communications satellite, and 1 Starlink mission.
Following stage separation, B1078 will attempt landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas about 8 minutes after launch. The droneship is stationed just East of the Bahamas.
One thing that could play a spoiler for the launch is the weather. The 45th Weather Squadron is predicting a 70% chance of unacceptable weather at the scheduled launch time.
However, SpaceX has four more chances to launch, and weather probabilities improve to an 80% chance of acceptable weather.
If weather or technical issues prevent the launch, SpaceX has another opportunity the next day with five launch opportunities between 8:35 p.m. ET (00:35 UTC August 8) and 11:57 p.m. ET (3:57 UTC).
Follow the launch on the SpaceX YouTube channel!
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