SpaceX readies another 56 Starlinks
May 3, 2023
By Chris Forrester
SpaceX is scheduling May 4th to launch an additional 56 of its Starlink satellites on a Falcon 9 rocket from Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Launch for the mission is targeting an early morning slot at 07.34 UTC, subject to the usual weather considerations. A back-up launch date is set for May 5th at 03.09am.
The satellites themselves are described as Version 1.5 and they will populate orbital tracks that will eventually be occupied by Starlink’s Version 2.0.
The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18 and SES-19, and two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ drone-ship, which will be stationed downrange in the Atlantic Ocean.
This will be SpaceX’s 233rd mission, and the 29th this year.
US buyers can now shop for Starlink kit at certain branches of Home Depot. Price for the complete package is $599.