SpaceX’s Falcon 9 was successful on Sunday, April 27 launching 23 Starlink small satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. These satellites will help build the smallsat space constellation. Photos by Satnews.
The weather was conducive for the launch with 90% chance of favorable weather conditions at the time of the launch. Officials were monitoring weather conditions with concerns related to Cumulus Cloud Rule, Anvil Cloud Rules. The forecast called for a temperature of 76°F, scattered clouds, 40% cloud cover and a wind speed of 14mph.
This is the 20th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, TD7, and 12 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.