Falcon 9 Starlink Launch Rescheduled to Thursday, Will Tie Vandenberg Annual Record
SpaceX will launch 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Thursday afternoon, matching the base's previous annual launch record.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 mission carrying 27 Starlink satellites has been rescheduled for liftoff from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Thursday, Oct. 22, with a launch window between 2:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Pacific Time. The mission was originally scheduled for Tuesday before being moved to Wednesday and then Thursday.
Officials at Vandenberg Space Force Base said the exact reason for the delay has not been shared, though a storm is bringing rain to the region this week. If the mission launches Thursday, it will tie the previous record for annual launches from the local spaceport.
Part of Planned Increase in Launch Activity
According to Vandenberg Space Force Base, the launch is part of a planned increase of up to 100 launches per year. If this mission takes off Thursday afternoon, a record-setting Starlink launch is scheduled for late Friday evening or early Saturday morning.
Following first-stage separation, the booster will return to Earth to land on the Of Course I Still Love You drone ship in the Pacific Ocean. Residents may hear one or more sonic booms, though how far the sound travels will depend on weather and other conditions at launch time. This will be the 36th flight for the Falcon 9 booster on this mission. A live webcast will begin about ten minutes before liftoff on SpaceX's platforms.
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Facts via KEYT.
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