With an on-time launch at 10:35 PM EDT, a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off the launch pad and lit up the calm night sky over Cape Canaveral. It’s payload: Starlink 6-62, which is the mission name for this batch of 23 Starlink satellites.
The rocket flew into the night in a southeasterly direction and let out a loud rumble.
Eight and a half minutes later, the Falcon 9 booster touched down on the A shortage of Gravitas drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
When is the next rocket launch in Florida? Is there a launch today? Upcoming rocket launch schedule from SpaceX, NASA and ULA in Florida
Wednesday’s booster made its eighth flight. Previous missions include three other Starlink missions, ESA Euclid, CRS-30 and two crewed missions from Axiom Space: Ax-2 and Ax-3.
The first in a double SpaceX header
Wednesday night marked the first of another SpaceX launch double header. As the Falcon 9 rocket launched a number of Starlink satellites into orbit, the SpaceX team had announced plans to launch another batch – in less than 24 hours.
A new batch of Starlink satellites will launch from the Space Coast on Thursday evening. Although SpaceX has yet to confirm this mission, geospatial and FAA navigation alerts indicate the launch window is from 6:45 PM to 11:16 PM EDT.
As with Wednesday’s launch, the Falcon 9 rocket will travel in a southeasterly trajectory and land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
Starliner launch update
The Space Coast had almost a triple launch week. NASA has released a statement saying the launch of Starliner’s Crewed Flight Test has been further postponed from the announced date of Saturday, May 25. The next launch attempt is now scheduled for no earlier than 12:25 PM EDT, Saturday, June 1. will give the teams more time to ensure the spacecraft is ready for launch.
The last launch attempt on May 6 was failed when a faulty oxygen valve was discovered on the Atlas V rocket. ULA crews worked to replace the oxygen valve, but further delays occurred after a helium leak was discovered coming from a thruster in the spacecraft’s service module – a disposable thruster module that sits beneath the spacecraft.
“It has been important that we take the time to understand all the complexities of each issue, including the redundant capabilities of the Starliner propulsion system and any implications for our Interim Human Rating certification. We will launch Butch and Suni on this test mission after the full community has reviewed the team’s progress and rationale for flight during the upcoming Delta Agency Flight Test Readiness Review,” Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, said in a press update.
The earliest Starliner could fly is Saturday, June 1. Backup options extend to Sunday, June 2, Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6.
The FLORIDA TODAY Space Team will continue to bring you the latest information on this story and all launches at the Cape at Floridatoday.com/space.
Brooke Edwards is a space reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or at @brookeofstars.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lights up the night sky over Space Coast, Florida
