SpaceX is counting all the way down to what could possibly be a rocket launch hat trick this weekend.
The non-public spaceflight firm goals to launch three rockets from three completely different launch pads in three days starting Friday, June 17, when SpaceX launches 53 Starlink web satellites into orbit from Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Area Heart in Florida. A launch from Area Power Base Vandenberg in California will observe Saturday morning to orbit a radar satellite tv for pc for the German navy, with the third mission returning to Florida to launch a business communications satellite tv for pc from Area Power Station Cape Canaveral.
If profitable, the triple play launch might mark SpaceX’s tightest consecutive flights up to now after the corporate accomplished three missions between Jan. 31 and Feb. 3 earlier this 12 months. SpaceX can also be aiming to set a brand new file with one of many flights.
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The Falcon 9 rocket launched on Friday’s mission, referred to as Starlink 4-19, will make its thirteenth flight – the perfect of any Falcon 9 – when it launches from Pad 39A. Liftoff is scheduled for 12:08 a.m. EDT (4:08 p.m. GMT). The Falcon 9 first stage flew 9 Starlink missions and 4 business flights, SpaceX mentioned in a mission description. (opens in a brand new tab).
When SpaceX CEO Elon Musk unveiled the most recent model of his workhorse Falcon 9, the Block 5 variant, he mentioned the booster was designed for as much as 10 flights. In keeping with a June 10 report from Aviation Week (opens in a brand new tab), the corporate now goals to fly Falcon 9 rockets at the least 15 occasions earlier than retiring them. SpaceX at the moment has 21 Falcon rockets in its secure, the journal reported.
Jessica Jensen, SpaceX’s vice chairman of operations and buyer integration, informed Aviation Week’s Irene Klotz (opens in a brand new tab) Falcon 9 flight elements are actually examined as much as 4 occasions their fatigue life for 15 missions.
If Friday’s launch goes easily, SpaceX will flip to its launch pad at Vandenberg Area Power Base in California to launch SARah 1, an artificial aperture radar distant sensing satellite tv for pc for the German navy constructed by Airbus. Liftoff is scheduled for 10 a.m. EDT (2 p.m. GMT) on Saturday, June 18.
“SARah is a brand new operational reconnaissance system consisting of a number of satellites and a floor phase, which was developed on behalf of the German Bundeswehr,” Airbus wrote in a press release. (opens in a brand new tab). “As a successor system, it replaces the SAR-Lupe system at the moment in service and gives considerably improved system capabilities and efficiency.”
As soon as SARah 1 is in orbit, SpaceX’s consideration will flip to Florida, the place the corporate hopes to launch the Globalstar FM15 communications satellite tv for pc for Globalstar, in accordance with Spaceflight Now. (opens in a brand new tab). This mission will carry off from SpaceX’s pad at Cape Canaveral Area Power Station at 12:30 a.m. EDT (04:30 GMT) on Sunday, June 19.
Globalstar FM15 is a spare satellite tv for pc for Globalstar’s community of messaging and information relay satellites, Spaceflight Now reported. (opens in a brand new tab).
You can watch SpaceX’s subsequent three launches on Area.com at launch. SpaceX is anticipated to broadcast dwell webcasts about 10 minutes earlier than liftoff.
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