SpaceX successfully sent 22 more V2 mini Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida very early this morning.
Following a couple of weather delays, the Falcon 9 launched at 1:17 a.m. ET (05:17 UTC), heading to the Southeast to insert the Starlink satellites into the correct 43-degree orbital inclination.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/hyr81mdZTU
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 11, 2023
The 22 satellites separated from the 2nd stage just over 1 hour after launching from Florida and bringing the entire variety of Starlink satellites to 4,940. There are only over 4,500 Starlink satellites which can be working, with 3,854 being of their operational orbits, in accordance with the Jonathan McDowells Starlink tracker.
This was 4th mission for SpaceX within the last 8 days and the fifty fifth mission of the 12 months. There are 4 more missions currently scheduled between the Eastern and Western ranges for August with probability of more being added. SpaceX is basically only using 2 out of its 3 launch pads for Starlink and customer launches as Launch Complex 39A is being readied for the Crew 7 launch that’s currently scheduled for August twenty fifth.
In a fun “coincidence,” the Falcon 9 that launched the Group 6-9 mission was Booster 1069, which was flying on its ninth flight. B1069 successfully landed on the droneship “Just Read the Instructions” 8 and a half minutes after launch.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship pic.twitter.com/YJadybqd9L
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 11, 2023
B1069 has had considered one of the more interesting histories of the present fleet of Falcon 9 boosters, following its first flight during which it performed nominally. After landing, there was some kind of mishap on the droneship, possibly resulting from rough seas. The primary stage slid across the deck and the Octograbber underneath caused damage to the booster’s Merlin 1D engine nozzles.
The rocket was eventually secured and brought back with a heavy lean. SpaceX repaired the booster and has now accomplished 9 flights, including 5 Starlink missions, 3 business missions, and an ISS resupply mission.
![](https://www.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/CRS-24-F9-B1069-JRTI-Doug-122921-Richard-Angle-port-return-2-crop-w-c.jpg)
B1069 returning to Port Canaveral after its first flight (Credit Richard Angle)
One other SpaceX record was broken with this launch, the fairings on this mission were flying for his or her tenth and eleventh times. That is the primary time a fairing half had flown for 11 times.
SpaceX will now take a “break” of sorts, with the following launch currently being scheduled no sooner than August 16 from SLC-40 in Florida.