Late-night SpaceX launch would be 65th for the Space Coast this year

Late-night SpaceX launch would be 65th for the Space Coast this year

SpaceX is set to add to the growing tally of launches from the Space Coast for the year with another late-night liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying another 23 of the company’s Starlink internet satellites is set to lift off from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 targeting 11:01 p.m. but with backup options through 2:59 a.m. into early Wednesday morning.

Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron gives a 90% chance for good conditions at the opening of the window that diminishes to 75% by the end of the window, and 65% in the case of a 24-hour delay.

The first-stage booster is flying for the 15th time with plans to land on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic.

This would be the 65th launch from the Space Coast in 2023, all but four of which have come from SpaceX, building on the record that surpassed 2022’s total of 57 launches from all companies back on Oct. 21, and keeping up a pace that could see more than 70 launches before the end of the year.

SpaceX has also flown 24 successful orbital missions from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California this year, which would make this SpaceX’s 85th orbital launch of the year, having blown by its 2022 record of 61 launches from all pads, and likely to end with more than 90 for the year.

SpaceX Starship ends in explosions again but gets farther than last time

The company has also tried twice now to get its new massive Starship and Super Heavy rocket to orbit launching from its Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, but have fallen short both times.

The company won’t be able to try again until it completes another “mishap” investigation and applies for a new launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Starship will be the eventual replacement for the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, and SpaceX is already constructing launch facilities at Kennedy Space Center to support Starship.

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