SpaceX sent 23 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit yesterday afternoon from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch was originally scheduled for 11:00 a.m. ET but was postponed until 2:42 p.m.
ET. The satellites were deployed into a 43-degree orbital inclination, bringing the total number of Starlink satellites in space to 6,373. The launch was conducted by Falcon 9 Booster 1083, which had previously been used for two other missions.
There is speculation that the booster may be used for a special mission involving a crew of four and a spacewalk to test SpaceX’s new Extravehicular Activity suit. Following the successful launch, Booster 1083 landed smoothly on the droneship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ and will undergo refurbishment before its next mission. This was SpaceX’s 47th mission of the year and 4th of the month, as the company aims to reach 148 launches in a calendar year.
SpaceX’s upcoming plans include the launch of another batch of Starlink satellites from California, originally scheduled for yesterday but delayed by approximately 24 hours. The new target launch time is 8:20 pm PT.