On a super foggy California night SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launched 20 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Sunday, November 17. Launch took place at 9:47 p.m. PT.
The forecast called for a temperature of 54°F, clear skies, 0% cloud cover and a wind speed of 15mph.
This is the 20th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Transporter-8, Transporter-9, NROL-85, NROL-87, SWOT, SARah-1, NROL-146, and 12 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
SpaceX’s launch Sunday of Starlink Group 9-12 smallsats including 13 Direct to Cell
“Starlink gave us the new beginning we were looking for. It gave us connectivity we can be proud to share with our guests. It gave us the knowledge we needed to continue to build better train connectivity beyond the satellite [internet] itself…and, most of all, it gave us a new beginning for train enthusiasts to get excited about because it is doable, it is maintainable, [and] it is as exciting as it seems.”
SpaceX is targeting Sunday, November 17 for a Falcon 9 launch of 20 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Liftoff is targeted for 9:47 p.m. PT, with backup opportunities available until 1:46 a.m. PT. If needed, additional opportunities are also available on Monday, November 18 starting at 11:19 p.m. PT.
The forecast calls for a temperature of 54°F, clear skies, 0% cloud cover and a wind speed of 15mph.
A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX. You can also watch the webcast on the new X TV app.
This is the 20th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Transporter-8, Transporter-9, NROL-85, NROL-87, SWOT, SARah-1, NROL-146, and 12 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.