SpaceX is set to launch 21 more of its Starlink broadband satellites on Saturday night (April 6) from California.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 21 of SpaceX’s Starlink spacecraft — including six that can beam service directly to cell phones — is scheduled to lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base, on California’s central coast, Saturday during a four-hour window that opens at 10:25 p.m. EDT (7:25 p.m. local California time; 0225 GMT on April 7).
SpaceX will stream the launch via its X account, beginning about five minutes before the window opens.
Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see and track it in the night sky
The Falcon 9’s first stage will come back to Earth for a vertical landing about eight minutes after liftoff, if all goes according to plan. It will touch down on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
It will be the sixth launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage, meanwhile, will continue hauling the 21 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO), deploying them there 62.5 minutes after liftoff.
Two-thirds of the 33 orbital missions that SpaceX has launched so far in 2024 have been devoted to building out its Starlink megaconstellation, which currently consists of more than 5,650 operational satellites in LEO.
Tonight’s liftoff will be the second Starlink launch in two days, if all goes to plan: SpaceX launched 23 of the broadband craft early Friday morning (April 5) from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SpaceX had been planning to launch the 21 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg on Friday night but canceled that attempt due to bad weather.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9:45 p.m. ET on April 5 with news of the new target launch date of April 6.
Daisy Hips is a science communicator who brings the wonders of the natural world to readers. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to environmental conservation. Daisy is also an advocate for science education and enjoys stargazing in her spare time.
