{"id":2963193,"date":"2023-10-29T12:05:09","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T16:05:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-1016567-4521551.cloudwaysapps.com\/plato-data\/falcon-9-launch-scrubbed-30-seconds-before-liftoff-with-23-starlink-satellites\/"},"modified":"2023-10-29T12:05:09","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T16:05:09","slug":"falcon-9-launch-scrubbed-30-seconds-before-liftoff-with-23-starlink-satellites","status":"publish","type":"station","link":"https:\/\/platodata.io\/plato-data\/falcon-9-launch-scrubbed-30-seconds-before-liftoff-with-23-starlink-satellites\/","title":{"rendered":"Falcon 9 launch scrubbed 30 seconds before liftoff with 23 Starlink satellites"},"content":{"rendered":"
File photo of SpaceX\u2019s Starlink V2 Mini satellites inside a payload processing facility at Cape Canaveral earlier this year. Credit: SpaceX<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Update 8:38 p.m. EDT (0038 UTC): <\/strong>A scrub was called at T-30 seconds to liftoff. The launch team will target its next launch attempt with a 24-hour recycle. The launch window opens at 7:20 p.m. EDT (2320 UTC).<\/p>\n

Original story:<\/strong><\/p>\n

SpaceX is gearing up to launch 23 more satellites for its Starlink internet service from Cape Canaveral on Sunday, its second Falcon 9 launch of the day. Liftoff from pad 40 is scheduled for 8:17 p.m. EDT (0017 UTC).<\/p>\n

Earlier Sunday, a Falcon 9 lofted 22 Starlinks from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. That launch brought the number of Starlink satellites currently in orbit to 4,989, according to statistics compiled by Jonathan McDowell<\/a>. If all goes according to plan, SpaceX will have more than 5,000 Starlink satellites in orbit by the end of the day.<\/p>\n

A forecast issued by the 45th Weather Squadron at Cape Canaveral on Saturday gave the Falcon 9 an 85-percent chance of favorable conditions for launch. The main concerns are violations of liftoff wind limits and rules associated with lightning-triggering cumulus clouds. There was a low to moderate risk of poor weather in the booster recovery area near the Bahamas.<\/p>\n

SpaceX has five back up launch opportunities on Sunday night if needed, the last of which is at 10:47 p.m. EDT (0247 UTC).<\/p>\n

Spaceflight Now will bring you live coverage from the Cape, starting about an hour before launch.<\/p>\n

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After lifting off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the Falcon 9 will pitch and roll onto a south-easterly trajectory as it targets an orbit inclined at 43 degrees to the equator.<\/p>\n

The first-stage booster, making its eighth flight, will touch down on the drone ship \u2018Of Course I Still Love you\u2019 about eight and a half minutes after launch.<\/p>\n

The booster, tail number B1077, first flew in October 2022, carrying Crew 5 to the International Space Station aboard Dragon Endurance. It went on to fly the GPS III F6, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, and Intelsat G-37 missions, plus two Starlink delivery flights.<\/p>\n

Deployment of the 23 Starlink satellites into a 182\u00d7177 mile (293\u00d7285 km) orbit is scheduled to occur 1 hour, 5 minutes and 38 seconds after launch.<\/p>\n

Tonight\u2019s launch will be the 90th orbital mission for SpaceX in the last 365 days, roughly a launch every four days on average. Company officials have said they hope to accelerate the pace of launches and make 100 flights in 2023, surging to a total of 144 in 2024.<\/p>\n