May 17 (UPI) — SpaceX plans to send a batch of about two dozen Starlink communications satellites from Florida on Friday night.
In what is a regime event, a Falcon Nine rocket will position all 23 satellites into low-Earth orbit. The rocket used Friday will be on its 21st mission.
The approximately 8. 5-minute flight will end with the Falcon 9’s first-level landing on the A Shortfall of Gravitas drone in the Atlantic Ocean.
According to SpaceX, there will be a backup launch window, if needed, at 11:30 p. m. Other opportunities are planned for Saturday from 8:06 p. m.
According to Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center, 5,941 Starlink satellites are currently operating in orbit around the Earth to provide connections around the world.
According to the Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron, the chances of favorable weather conditions range from 75% to 95%. If there is a delay, the chances of favorable weather conditions increase from 40% to 80%.