Falcon 9 Starlink V1.0-L17 On Launch Pad 39A, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 Starlink V1.0-L17 Launch Scrubbed
February 28, 2021 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
Launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket scheduled for 8:37 p.m. EST today has been scrubbed. The countdown was aborted at Launch Minus 1 Minute, 24 Seconds. The cause of the abort has not yet been announced. The next launch opportunity is Monday, March 1, 2021 at 8:15 p.m. EST. The rocket will be carrying 60 Starlink broadband satellites for SpaceX. Launch of the mission, designated Starlink V1.0-L17, will be from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.
Starlink V1.0-L19 Launch, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 Launches Starlink Satellites; Booster Lost
February 15, 2021 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 60 Starlink broadband satellites at 10:59 p.m. EST today from Launch Pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission, delayed a day due to bad weather, was marred only by the loss of the rocket's first stage booster. The booster was being flown for the sixth time, having previously supported the CRS-19 and CRS-20 missions, a Starlink mission, the SAOCOM-1B mission and the NROL-108 mission. The booster crashed near the "Of Course I Still Love You" drone ship, positioned on the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles northeast of Cape Canaveral. SpaceX has recovered a first stage booster 74 times, and today's failure follows 24 straight recovery successes since the last failure in March, 2020. Nevertheless, the rocket's payload of 60 Starlink broadband satellites was successfully deployed about an hour after launch. This, the 19th Starlink launch and designated V1.0-L19, brings the total of Starlink satellites launched to date to 1,145 although not all of these are still in orbit. At this pace, the SpaceX-owned Starlink space-based Internet service could be available to the entire United States later this year.
Starlink V1.0-L19 Downrange, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 On Launch Pad 40, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 Starlink Launch Scrubbed
February 14, 2021 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
Launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket scheduled for 11:21 p.m. EST today has been scrubbed due to bad weather. Launch has been rescheduled for Monday, February 15, 2021 at 10:59 p.m. EST. Launch will be from Launch Pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and the rocket will be carrying 60 Starlink broadband satellites for SpaceX. This will be the 19th batch of Starlink satellites launched to date as part of the SpaceX-owned constellation designed to provide space-based Internet service to unserved or underserved areas throughout the world.
Falcon 9 Starlink V1.0-L18 Launch, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 Launches More Starlink Satellites
February 4, 2021 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 60 Starlink broadband satellites at 1:19 a.m. EST today from Launch Pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The first stage booster employed today was being launched for the fifth time, having previously supported the GPS III-SV03 mission, the Turksat-5A mission and two Starlink missions. The booster was successfully recovered today with a landing on the "Of Course I Still Love You" drone ship positioned on the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles northeast of Cape Canaveral. The payload halves employed today were each being flown for the second time, one having previously supported the SAOCOM-1B mission and the other previously supporting the GPS III-SV03 mission. Both fairing halves were successfully recovered by specialized vessels on the Atlantic Ocean. This was the 18th Starlink launch to date, and was designated Starlink V1.0-L18. Today's launch brought the number of Starlink broadband Internet satellites launched to date to 1,085 although some of these are no longer in orbit. The SpaceX-owned Starlink constellation is intended to provide space-based Internet service to unserved or underserved areas throughout the world.
Moonrise Over Launch Pad 40, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
