SpaceX

SpaceX Starlink Rocket Launch From Florida Today, March 24

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida – The launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink v2 satellites is targeted to liftoff at 11:33 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Friday, March 24, 2023, from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

If needed, there are additional launch opportunities on the same day at 1:14 p.m. ET (17:14 UTC) and 2:55 p.m. ET (18:55 UTC).

Backup opportunities are also available on Saturday, March 25 at 11:08 a.m. ET (15:08 UTC), 12:49 p.m. ET (16:49 UTC), and 2:30 p.m. ET (18:30 UTC).

Watch SpaceX Rocket Launch Live On YouTube

Launch Weather 95% ‘GO’

According to the latest forecast from the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron, there is a 95% chance of favorable weather for launch.

The primary weather concern is cumulus clouds.

Attempted Landing On Drone Ship

Following stage separation, the first stage of the Falcon 9 Block 5 will attempt a landing on an autonomous drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean.

Starlink 5-5 Payload


Starlink’s flat-panel design allows for a dense launch stack to take full advantage of Falcon 9’s launch capabilities

These Starlink satellites are part of a next-generation satellite network developed by SpaceX to provide the globe with reliable and affordable broadband internet services.

Each v2 Starlink satellite weighs approximately 1,250 kg (over four times the weight of previous Starlink satellite versions) and features a flat-panel design with multiple high-throughput antennas and a twin solar array.

With the recent authorization of SpaceX’s second-generation network, or “Gen 2,” SpaceX will provide even faster speeds to more users.

This new authorization enables SpaceX to launch additional, much-improved spacecraft with significantly more throughput per satellite than the first-generation systems.

For the end consumer, this means more bandwidth and increased reliability.

As a result, millions more Americans will have access to high-speed internet no matter where they live.

Starlink Hall Thruster

Starlink satellites feature Hall thrusters powered by krypton to adjust position on orbit, maintain intended altitude, and de-orbit.

A Hall thruster is a type of electric propulsion device that produces thrust by ionizing and accelerating a noble gas, usually xenon.

While producing comparatively low thrust relative to conventional rocket engines, Hall thrusters provide significantly greater specific impulse or fuel economy.

This results in increased payload carrying capacity and a greater number of on-orbit maneuvers for a spacecraft using Hall thrusters rather than traditional rocket engines.

Starlink Space Junk Avoidance

Starlink satellites are capable of tracking on-orbit debris and autonomously avoiding a collision.

95 percent of all components of this Starlink satellite design will quickly burn in Earth’s atmosphere at the end of each satellite’s life cycle which exceeds all current safety standards.

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