23 Starlink satellites joined the constellation after successfully being launched into orbit atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 that was flying for a record-breaking 18th time.
Launching on Friday at 8:37 p.m. ET, about midway through the launch window, Falcon 9 Booster 1058 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, carrying the 23 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/dSMnF0tx9Y
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 4, 2023
B1058 is one in every of the more historic Falcon 9 boosters, having launched NASA astronauts Bob and Doug to the International Space Station on its inaugural flight in May 2020, which brought U.S. astronauts back to the space station on a U.S.-made rocket for the primary time for the reason that Space Shuttle was retired by NASA in 2011.
Since that historic launch, B1058 has gone on to launch 13 Starlink missions (with various rideshares), 2 Transporter missions, 1 dedicated communication satellite mission, and 1 resupply mission to the ISS and is chargeable for a complete of 844 satellites being delivered to orbit.
As for its most up-to-date launch, B1058 landed on the droneship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ following its portion of the mission and returned to Port Canaveral to be readied for a possible flight 19. SpaceX only took 45 days to show across the booster between flights 17 and 18, indicating they’ve streamlined their refurbishment process for the more veteran boosters within the fleet.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, completing the primary 18th launch and landing of a booster pic.twitter.com/GIjqVFR4hc
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 4, 2023
While SpaceX has been maintaining a high cadence of launches, that has not slowed their progress on the brand new Crew tower being built that can enable NASA and SpaceX to launch astronauts or resupply missions from either LC-39A or SLC-40. Over the past couple of months, sections of the tower have been moved from the construct area next to Hangar X to SLC-40, with work being done in between launches.
SpaceX hopes to have the tower ready for launches in 2024, which can initially start with resupply missions to the ISS, but with SpaceX and their cadence, they might possibly launch a Crew ahead of later.
Next up for SpaceX this week is one other Starlink mission from Florida no sooner than 11 p.m. ET tomorrow, a Transporter mission from California no sooner than 1:47 p.m. PT on the ninth, and the CRS-29 resupply mission to the ISS from LC-39A at 8:28 pm ET.