14.10.2023
Two in one day: SpaceX launches Starlink mission hours after NASA Psyche launch from Cape
SpaceX crews kicked off Friday the 13th by launching NASA's Psyche spacecraft skyward on its six-year voyage to the asteroid belt, generating sonic booms from the Falcon Heavy rocket boosters that rattled buildings across the Space Coast.
Nine hours later, SpaceX capped that morning Psyche mission by launching a Falcon 9 rocket at 7:01 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Of note, the sunset Starlink launch from the Cape — which lifted 22 internet satellites into low-Earth orbit — marked the 14th flight for the Falcon 9's first stage booster. After stage separation, the booster landed on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean.
SpaceX had scrubbed the initial Starlink 6-22 mission launch attempt Sunday. During that try, crews halted the countdown with only 23 seconds remaining before liftoff, citing upper-level winds.
Rather than trying to launch again Monday, SpaceX announced the upcoming NASA Psyche launch had priority over the Starlink mission. So the Falcon 9 launch was ultimately postponed until Friday night.
Quelle: Florida Today
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On Friday, October 13 at 7:01 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
This was the 14th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, mPOWER-a, PSN SATRIA, and now six Starlink missions.
Quelle: SpaceX