Updates: SpaceX launched the Starlink 6-23 mission Tuesday from Cape Canaveral
Watch Falcon 9 launch 22 @Starlink satellites to orbit https://t.co/NKtMdpl004
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 18, 2023
Update: SpaceX teams launched the Falcon 9 Starlink 6-23 mission at 8:39 p.m. EDT Tuesday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. A booster landing on a drone ship followed.
SpaceX teams at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida are on track to launch a Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday with another batch of the company's Starlink internet satellites.
When SpaceX's broadcast hosted on X (formerly Twitter) becomes available about 5 minutes before liftoff, it will be provided at the top of this page.
Updates from Tuesday's event below:
SpaceX Starlink 6-23 countdown
The Falcon 9 has landed:
8:47 p.m. EDT: The Falcon 9 first stage has landed aboard SpaceX's Just Read the Instructions drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean, completing its 16th mission.
— Jamie Groh
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship pic.twitter.com/uBrRt1Elwg
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 18, 2023
Liftoff!
8:39 p.m. EDT: SpaceX has launched a Falcon 9 rocket with 22 Starlink satellites from Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The drone ship landing of the first stage booster should be coming up in about eight minutes.
— Jamie Groh
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/WK5xe5EgSL
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 18, 2023
SpaceX rocket launch tonight: Fueling underway
8:05 p.m. EDT: Though SpaceX has yet to make an official announcement, visual cues indicate Falcon 9 fueling procedures are now underway at Launch Complex 40. Weather remains favorable for liftoff at 8:39 p.m. EDT.
Here's a look at the remaining milestone in the countdown timeline:
T-minus:
38 minutes: SpaceX launch director verifies go for propellant load.
35 minutes: Rocket-grade kerosene loading and first stage liquid oxygen loading begin.
16 minutes: Second stage liquid oxygen loading begins.
7 minutes: Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch.
1 minute: Command flight computer begins final prelaunch checks; propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins.
45 seconds: SpaceX launch director verifies “go” for launch.
3 seconds: Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start.
00:00:00: Falcon 9 liftoff.
— Jamie Groh
SpaceX rocket launch tonight: Weather great
7:45 p.m. EDT: While we wait through the countdown tonight for a liftoff now slated for 8:39 p.m. EDT, a quick check of the weather around the spaceport shows clear skies and that all other conditions are "go" for a launch attempt.
Stay tuned for more frequent updates as we get closer to the start of fueling.
— Jamie Groh
SpaceX rocket launch tonight: Launch time adjusted again
7:10 p.m. EDT: SpaceX is now working toward liftoff at 8:39 p.m. EDT — a delay of 3 minutes from the previously targeted attempt. Weather conditions are projected to be 95% favorable.
— Jamie Groh
SpaceX rocket launch tonight: New launch time
6:30 p.m. EDT: Good evening and welcome to our Space Team live coverage of tonight's SpaceX Starlink 6-23 mission launch attempt from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SpaceX is now working toward liftoff at 8:36 p.m. EDT — a delay of about 44 minutes from the previously targeted attempt. Weather conditions are projected to be 95% favorable.
More frequent updates will be provided as we progress through the pre-launch countdown. Stay tuned.
— Jamie Groh
Original story below:
SpaceX rocket launch tonight: When is liftoff?
Liftoff of the 230-foot rocket is set for 8:39 p.m. EDT Tuesday. If needed, SpaceX has other backup opportunities until 8:48 p.m. EDT.
According to SpaceX, there are also six opportunities to launch a day later on Wednesday, beginning at 4:55 p.m. EDT, if teams have to scrub or stand down from Tuesday's attempt for any reason.
SpaceX rocket launch tonight: What is the weather forecast?
A launch weather report released by the Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron on Monday pegs conditions at 95% "go" for liftoff on Tuesday.
"Conditions for the primary launch window look very favorable, with low relative humidity values and a weak chance for a Cumulus Cloud Rule violation," forecasters said. "For the backup day, similar conditions are expected."
The National Weather Service in Melbourne calls for sunny conditions for the Space Coast throughout the day on Tuesday. A high near 73 degrees is expected, with light winds up to 10 mph from the northwest. Conditions for the latter half of the launch window through the evening should remain mostly favorable, with clear skies and a low of around 62 degrees.
SpaceX rocket launch tonight: Here's everything else you need to know
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex 40 will host.
The payload is the company's next batch of Starlink internet-beaming satellites.
The 230-foot Falcon 9 rocket will follow a southeasterly trajectory threading between Florida and the Bahamas.
No local sonic booms with this mission. The 130-foot first-stage booster will target a drone ship landing in the Atlantic Ocean about eight minutes after liftoff.
This marks the 16th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission.
If the schedule holds, the Starlink 6-23 mission will mark the Space Coast's 57th launch this year, tying the record set in 2022 and eclipsing 2021's previous record of 31.
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Next SpaceX rocket launch: When is it?
Another SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station could happen this weekend, but SpaceX has yet to announce its next targeted launch date. For the latest, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.
Contact Jamie Groh at JGroh@floridatoday.com and follow her on X.com at @AlteredJamie.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Updates: Tuesday's SpaceX Starlink 6-23 mission from Cape Canaveral
