SpaceX Targets Dual Starlink Launches This Friday from East and West Coasts
SpaceX is set for a busy start to the weekend, planning two Falcon 9 rocket launches from its Florida and California facilities, scheduled just hours apart. This double launch event underscores the company's rapid operational tempo.
The first mission of the day, designated Starlink 10-48, will depart from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It aims to deploy 29 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit, expanding the constellation's global broadband coverage.
Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 is slated for 8:10:40 a.m. EDT (12:10:40 UTC), with the rocket ascending on a north-easterly path after leaving the pad.
Weather conditions for the Friday morning launch window are largely favorable, with an 80 percent probability of acceptable weather. Meteorologists from the 45th Weather Squadron are monitoring potential issues like robust liftoff winds, cumulus clouds, and a slight increase in risk within the booster's recovery area.
SpaceX will employ Falcon 9 first stage booster B1095 for this launch. This marks its sixth flight, having previously supported five other Starlink satellite deployments, demonstrating the reusability of its rockets.
Approximately 8.5 minutes post-liftoff, B1095 is expected to attempt a landing on the drone ship 'Just Read the Instructions,' stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. A successful recovery would be the 153rd landing on this particular vessel and SpaceX's impressive 584th booster recovery overall to date.
Following the deployment of the Starlink 10-48 payload, SpaceX will quickly transition to the countdown for the Starlink 17-31 mission, launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This second launch is scheduled for 7:33 a.m. PDT (10:33 a.m. EDT / 14:33 UTC), completing a packed day of orbital deployments.
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