SpaceX will continue to test the limits of its Falcon 9 rocket with its next launch of Starlink satellites. The Starlink 6-69 mission features 24 of the V2 Mini variety of the satellite, the most flown on a single Falcon 9 launch.
Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is set for Sunday, Nov. 10, at 4:28 p.m. EST (2128 UTC). If needed, SpaceX has launch opportunities that last until 8:28 p.m. EST (0128 UTC).
Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about an hour prior to liftoff.
The 45th Weather Squadron forecast fairly idilic conditions for launch on Sunday. Launch weather officers said there should be a 90 percent chance of favorable weather during the launch window.
“The large high pressure system to the northeast continues to persist through the weekend, resulting in consistent onshore flow for the east coast of Florida. This will bring a fairly steady stream of shallow cumulus clouds throughout the period, along with very isolated showers,” meteorologists wrote. “By late Sunday the high pressure will begin to weaken and exit to the east allowing a weak tropical trough to enter the region from the south.”
The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1080 in the SpaceX fleet, will be launching for a 12th time. It previously supported the launches of four missions to the International Space Station (Ax-2, Ax-3, Cygnus NG-21 and CRS-30), the European Space Agencyâ€s (ESA) Euclid observatory, the SES 24 communications satellite and four prior Starlink missions.
A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, B1080 will land on the SpaceX droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.†If successful, this will mark the 84th landing on ASOG and the 365th booster landing to date.
Ramping up launches
The launch of 24 Starlink satellites comes as SpaceX looks to ramp up its launch cadence to get as close a possible to the goal it set at the start of the year of 144 missions – a target it admits it can no longer reach. Sunday’s mission will be the companyâ€s third launch in four days and it plans to launch a Korean communications satellite Monday, followed by two more Starlink delivery missions before the end of the week.
Starlink 6-69 will be SpaceXâ€s 107th Falcon 9 rocket launch this year between its two launch pads in Florida and single pad in California.
Following a launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Friday at 10:14 p.m. PDT (1:14 a.m. EST, 0614 UTC on Saturday), Kiko Dontchev, SpaceXâ€s vice president of launch, said that the company was recently approved to launch up to 50 times this year from VSFB.
“Donâ€t get it twisted… @SpaceX and @SpaceForceDoD are committed to national security AND protecting the environment,†Dontchev said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “As part of the approval for increased cadence, we are implementing a very robust and detailed species monitoring and mitigation program.
“We will use data and science, not politics, to protect our planet as we push further into the solar system and make life multi-planetary!â€
Amazing work by the @SpaceX west coast team on launch #37(!!!) from Vandenberg this year. We are so thankful for our amazing partnership with the @SLDelta30, @SpaceForceDoD, and @DeptofDefense. So much effort from all parties went into clearing the way for increased launch… https://t.co/sZERa6JdAr
— Kiko Dontchev (@TurkeyBeaver) November 9, 2024
Back in mid-October, the Los Angeles Times reported that the California Coastal Commission rejected a request by SpaceX to increase their number of permitted launch to 50. The proposal was also backed by U.S. Space Force and U.S. Air Force officials.
The pushback from commissioners was reportedly connected to the ramped up political activity by SpaceX Founder Elon Musk in the lead up to the presidential election.
“This company is owned by the richest person in the world with direct control of what could be the most expansive communications system in the planet,†Commissioner Mike Wilson said. “Just last week that person was talking about political retribution.â€
The commission also said SpaceX needed to do more in the realm of environmental monitoring and mitigation efforts. The L.A. Times reported that military personnel did agree “to increase monitoring and to set up an interagency working group that includes U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Federal Aviation Administration to address concerns as the number of launches increases.â€
The Times also noted that SpaceX has plans to increase up to 100 launches from California in 2025.
