22 more V2 mini Starlink satellites are set to launch atop a Falcon 9 on Sunday, August sixth. The launch is currently scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET (01:00 UTC on August 7) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
SpaceX is maintaining with its high cadence of launches, with this launch coming just three days after their last launch from SLC-40, which was the successful Galaxy-37/Horizons-4 mission.
Targeting Sunday, August 6 for Falcon 9’s launch of twenty-two @Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Florida → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 4, 2023
This batch of Starlinks, Group 6-8, might be launched on a South Easterly trajectory and right into a 43-degree orbital inclination with planned separation from the 2nd stage just over an hour after lift-off. A successful launch will bring the whole variety of Starlink satellites launched to 4,903 of which there are currently 3,814 of their operational orbits.
The Falcon 9 tasked with this mission is Booster 1078, and it should be making its fourth flight since its debut in March 2023. B1078 has launched the Crew-6 mission for NASA, O3b mPOWER communications satellite, and 1 Starlink mission.
Following stage separation, B1078 will attempt landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas about 8 minutes after launch. The droneship is stationed just East of the Bahamas.
One thing that might play a spoiler for the launch is the weather. The forty fifth Weather Squadron is predicting a 70% probability of unacceptable weather on the scheduled launch time.
Nevertheless, SpaceX has 4 more probabilities to launch, and weather probabilities improve to an 80% probability of acceptable weather.
If weather or technical issues prevent the launch, SpaceX has one other opportunity the following day with five launch opportunities between 8:35 p.m. ET (00:35 UTC August 8) and 11:57 p.m. ET (3:57 UTC).
Follow the launch on the SpaceX YouTube channel!