Tonight SpaceX will launch one other batch of Starlink satellites in a nighttime launch utilizing one among its Falcon 9 rockets from House Launch Complicated 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral House Power Station in Florida. With liftoff scheduled for 10:22 p.m. ET (7:22 p.m. PT) on Saturday, August 27, you may watch the launch at dwelling by following the information beneath.
What to anticipate from the launch
SpaceX has carried out so many Starlink launches in the previous couple of years that they’ve change into very skilled within the launch course of. You’ll be able to anticipate 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 it will likely be at night time, 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 is able to return to Earth to land on a droneship stationed within the Atlantic Ocean. The droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas shall 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 primary stage booster which is flying tonight has beforehand been used on the CRS-24 mission, which was a resupply mission to the Worldwide House Station which launched in December 2021.
How to watch the launch
To watch the launch because it occurs, you may tune into the SpaceX livestream. This can present key occasions within the launch course of like closing preparations, liftoff, the separation of the primary stage, then the separation of the fairing, and eventual deployment of the payload. The stream will 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.
Protection of the launch will start round 5 minutes earlier than liftoff, so round 10:15 p.m. ET (7:15 p.m. PT). You’ll be able to watch both by heading to SpaceX’s YouTube web page or through the use of the video embedded on the high of this web page.
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