Guest
SpaceX targets Wednesday, May 8, for a Falcon 9 launch of 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 11:00 a.m. EDT, 15:00 UTC, and 17:00 CEST, with backup opportunities available until 2:42 p.m. EDT. Additional opportunities are available on Thursday, May 9, starting at 10:16 a.m. EDT. This is the third flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-8 and a Starlink mission. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. For our astronomer friends who asked us about the inclination (and people in the areas who want to see the launch in person): The Satellites will be delivered to a 530 km circular low-Earth orbit (LEO) at 43°; their initial orbit is 285 x 293 km at º.
