SpaceX - Falcon 9 - Starlink Group 6-52 - SLC-40 - Cape Canaveral SFS - April 19, 2024 |
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SpaceX targets Thursday, April 18, for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 6:40 p.m. EDT, 22:40 UTC (00:40 CEST - April 19), with backup opportunities available until 10:40 p.m. EDT. Additional opportunities are also available on Friday, April 19, starting at 6:18 p.m. ET.
This is the seventh flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched ESA Euclid, Ax-2, Ax-3, CRS-30, and two Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. For our astronomer friends who asked us about the inclination (and people in the areas who want to see the launch in person): The Satellites will be delivered to a 530 km circular low-Earth orbit (LEO) at 43°; their initial orbit is 285 x 293 km at 43.00º. |