The first stage for Friday’s launch is designated B1062 in SpaceX’s inventory. A view of a stack of flat-packed Starlink satellites in orbit following a recent Starlink launch. The Falcon 9’s upper stage will burn for about six minutes to place the Starlink satellites into a transfer orbit ranging between 144 miles and 208 miles (232-by-336 kilometers), at an inclination of 53.2 degrees to the equator. Landing of the first stage is expected at T+plus 8 minutes, 49 seconds. The first stage will fire for two-and-a-half minutes before detaching to begin a descent toward SpaceX’s drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” in the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles (650 kilometers) downrange from the launch site. The Merlin engines will generate 1.7 million pounds of thrust to guide the rocket northeast from Cape Canaveral. Four hold-down clamps will release to allow the Falcon 9 to climb off the pad. SpaceX rolled the Falcon 9 to the pad from a nearby hangar late Thursday, then raised the 229-foot-tall (70-meter) rocket vertical in preparation for Friday afternoon’s launch opportunity.Īfter powering up the rocket and completing preliminary checkouts, SpaceX’s launch team will oversee a 35-minute automated countdown sequence to load kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants into the Falcon 9.Īfter final thermal conditioning and transfer of control of the countdown to the Falcon 9’s on-board computer, the rocket will light its nine Merlin 1D main engines in the final seconds before liftoff. EDT (1921:20 GMT) from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The two-stage Falcon 9, powered by a reusable booster, will place the 53 internet relay nodes into a low-altitude transfer orbit. Credit: Stephen Clark / Spaceflight NowĪnother 53 Starlink internet satellites are ready to rocket into orbit Friday from Cape Canaveral on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands vertical on pad 40 Friday in preparation for liftoff to begin the Starlink 4-27 mission.
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