SpaceX is gearing up for a Sunday early-morning launch from California, sending another batch of Starlink satellites into orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket.
The Starlink 17-23 mission will lift off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, with liftoff scheduled for 1:55:50 a.m. Pacific Time (4:55:50 a.m. Eastern Time / 09:55:50 UTC). After leaving the coast, the rocket will follow a southerly departure path from central California, carrying 25 Starlink V2 Mini satellites to contribute to SpaceX’s global internet constellation.
Spaceflight Now plans to provide live coverage starting about 30 minutes before liftoff.
The Falcon 9 booster, designated B1082, is set to mark its 20th flight since its first use in January 2024. Its prior missions include USSF-62, OneWeb Launch 20, and NROL-145, in addition to delivering 15 Starlink missions.
As with many recent flights, the booster is expected to target a landing on the drone ship in the Pacific Ocean, affectionately called “Of Course I Still Love You.”
Related tags and topics:
- Falcon 9
- OCISLY
- SLC-4E
- SLD 30
- SpaceX
- Starlink
- Starlink 17-23
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