![]() A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands on Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ahead of liftoff with the Starlink 4-23 mission. The Space Launch System rocket is standing on pad 39B at Kennedy, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) north of the Falcon 9’s launch site at pad 40. The launch of the Starlink 4-23 mission came about 33 hours before NASA is scheduled to launch the giant Artemis 1 moon rocket from nearby Kennedy Space Center. The total payload mass with 54 Starlink satellites added up to more than 36,800 pounds, or 16.7 metric tons, Anderson said. The addition of one more satellite - each Starlink craft weighs more than a quarter-ton - may suggest SpaceX has slightly improved the capacity of the Falcon 9’s payload envelope, and the satellites on Saturday night’s flight added up to the heaviest cargo ever lofted on a SpaceX mission, according to Jessie Anderson, a SpaceX engineer and commentator on the company’s launch webcast. The 53 satellites on recent Starlink flights maximized the rocket’s payload performance, representing the heaviest payloads ever launched on a Falcon 9. SpaceX has experimented with engine throttle settings and another minor upgrades to stretch the Falcon 9’s lift capability. The launch Saturday night, known as Starlink 4-23, carried 54 Starlink payloads, one more than SpaceX’s recent missions to the same orbit. EDT (0222 GMT) due to the storms, but weather improved for the second of two launch times available Saturday at 11:41 p.m. ![]() SpaceX skipped a launch opportunity at 10:22 p.m. Weather conditions were iffy Saturday night, with thunderstorms and lightning in the area around the launch site. The launcher aimed for an orbital inclination of 53.2 degrees to the equator. EDT Saturday (0341 GMT Sunday) to kick off SpaceX’s 38th launch of the year.įifteen minutes later, the Falcon 9’s upper stage released a stack of Starlink internet satellites into an orbit targeted between 144 miles and 208 miles (232-by-336 kilometers). ![]() Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station occurred at 11:41 p.m. The launch occurred days after SpaceX and T-Mobile unveiled plans to use a new generation of Starlink spacecraft to provide ubiquitous connectivity to existing cell phones. Space Force forecasters with Space Launch Delta 45 reported Thursday that a few passing clouds and possibly showers couldn't be ruled out, but a "very similar pattern is expected for a Friday evening attempt with a few more cirrus clouds overhead.SpaceX hauled another 54 Starlink internet satellites into orbit Saturday night from Cape Canaveral, setting a record for the heaviest payload ever launched by a Falcon 9 rocket. Secured in the rocket's payload fairing are two commercial communications spacecraft for Intelsat, a Luxembourg-based satellite operator. SpaceX's launch director reported the abort was caused by "a higher-than-expected reading of cryogenic helium decay."Ĭompany CEO Elon Musk later took to Twitter to clarify: "Tiny helium leak (just barely triggered abort), but we take no risks with customer satellites. The abort came after SpaceX successfully launched two Falcon 9s yesterday: one from Kennedy Space Center that carried a team of four in a Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station and then another just seven hours later that involved boosting Starlink internet satellites from California. Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK Launch of the rocket, carrying Intelsat G-33 and 34, a pair of commercial communications satellites, was scrubbed due to a helium leak. 7.Ī SpaceX Falcon 9 remains on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Thursday, October 6, 2022. SpaceX now plans on trying again at 7:06 p.m. Liftoff from Launch Complex 40 had been scheduled for 7:20 p.m. The computer-controlled process automatically shut down launch operations and forced SpaceX to scrub Thursday's attempt altogether. Just after the 30-second reminder was called out, a launch abort auto-sequence was initiated by the rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. SpaceX's plans to conduct three liftoffs within three days were dashed Thursday evening when the launch sequence of a Falcon 9 rocket was automatically aborted with just seconds remaining. 7 to allow additional time for vehicle checkouts. 7: SpaceX scrubbed its launch attempt on Friday, Oct. ![]() Please support it with a subscription here. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. ![]()
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