Update August 14, 10:30 a.m. EDT: SpaceX has successfully confirmed the deployment of its latest batch of Starlink satellites. In a significant achievement for the company, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 28 of its Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. The launch took place during a mid-morning flight from Florida’s Space Coast.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off on the Starlink 10-20 mission from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at precisely 8:29 a.m. EDT (12:29 UTC). This mission marks the 69th orbital launch from Florida in 2023, showcasing the state's growing role in the commercial space industry.
According to the 45th Weather Squadron, there was a 90 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for the liftoff. Meteorologists had previously expressed only slight concerns regarding potential interference from "sneaky cumulus clouds" that could drift onshore. They indicated that overnight and early morning winds were expected to maintain a southwesterly flow, which would help mitigate the risk of cumulus cloud formation due to atmospheric activity over the Atlantic Ocean.
SpaceX utilized the Falcon 9 first stage booster with the tail number B1085 for this mission, marking its 10th flight. This booster has been integral to several previous missions, including NASA’s Crew-9, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission 1, and Fram2. Approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1085 successfully landed on the droneship named 'Just Read the Instructions,' completing the 132nd landing on this vessel and the 488th booster landing overall.
With the addition of these 28 new Starlink satellites, SpaceX has now launched a total of 1,762 Starlink satellites across 71 Falcon 9 flights in 2023 alone. Notably, 40 of these missions have taken place from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, further establishing the site as a critical launch hub for the company.
Later in the day on Thursday, the California Coastal Commission is set to discuss a proposal put forth by the U.S. Space Force on behalf of SpaceX. The proposal seeks to increase the number of Falcon 9 launches conducted from Vandenberg Space Force Base from 50 to 95. Additionally, SpaceX is working on transforming Space Launch Complex 6 at VSFB to accommodate both Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches, along with adding a pair of landing pads at the site to enhance its operational capabilities.
