Tonight SpaceX will launch one other batch of Starlink satellites in a nighttime launch utilizing one in every of its Falcon 9 rockets from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. With liftoff scheduled for 10:22 p.m. ET (7:22 p.m. PT) on Saturday, August 27, you possibly can watch the launch at residence by following the information beneath.
What to count on from the launch
SpaceX has carried out so many Starlink launches in the previous few years that they’ve change into very skilled within the launch course of. You can count on to see a carefully choreographed launch sequence, with the deployment of the 54 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.
One thrilling function of the launch is that will probably be at evening, with some spectacular views of the rocket lifting off into the darkness anticipated. There’s additionally the joy of the rocket’s first stage, or booster, which can return to Earth to land on a droneship stationed within the Atlantic Ocean. The droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas will likely be available to catch the booster for reuse in future missions.
As is typical with SpaceX launches now, components of the rocket have been used beforehand. The first stage booster which is flying tonight has beforehand been used on the CRS-24 mission, which was a resupply mission to the International Space Station which launched in December 2021.
How to observe the launch
To watch the launch because it occurs, you possibly can tune into the SpaceX livestream. This will present key occasions within the launch course of like last preparations, liftoff, the separation of the primary stage, then the separation of the fairing, and eventual deployment of the payload. The stream can even present the touchdown of the booster, with the flip maneuver as soon as it’s separated, the entry burn, after which the vertical touchdown on the droneship.
Coverage of the launch will start round 5 minutes earlier than liftoff, so round 10:15 p.m. ET (7:15 p.m. PT). You can watch both by heading to SpaceX’s YouTube web page or by utilizing the video embedded on the prime of this web page.
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