CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — SpaceX is planning a late Monday night Starlink launch using a brand-new Falcon 9 first-stage booster.
What You Need To Know
- SpaceX will send up the Starlink 12-13 mission from Space Launch Complex 40
- More than 20 Starlink satellites will be launched
Just like how SpaceX kicked off the weekend on Friday, the California-based company start off the week with another Starlink launch.
The Falcon 9 rocket will send up Starlink 12-13 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, stated SpaceX.
The launch window will open at 11:26 p.m. ET and it will close at until 3:06 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Feb. 25. That means between those times, SpaceX has opportunities to launch its Falcon 9 rocket.
However, the weather might be a concern. The 45th Weather Squadron is giving a 75% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the only concern being the thick cloud layers rule.
Find out more about the weather criteria for a Falcon 9 launch.
If needed, additional launch opportunities are also available on Tuesday, Feb. 25 starting at 10:47 p.m. ET.
Brand-new booster
This will be the maiden flight for this Falcon 9’s first-stage booster B1092.
After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket will land on the droneship, Just Read the Instructions, that will be in the Atlantic Ocean.
About the mission
The SpaceX-owned Starlink company will see 21 satellites go to low-Earth orbit to provide internet service to many parts of Earth.
And they will not be alone.
Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been tracking Starlink satellites.
Before this launch, McDowell recorded the following:
- 7,084 are in orbit
- 6,329 are in operational orbit
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