On January 7, 2024, SpaceX is set to launch its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral with a payload of Starlink satellites, marking the company’s first launch of the year.
The Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to carry the next batch of 23 Starlink satellites into orbit from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The liftoff is targeted for 5:35 p.m. EST (2235 UTC).
Previously, SpaceX had announced a four-hour launch window that opened at 4 p.m. EST (2100 UTC), but the timing needed to be adjusted to accommodate the inaugural launch of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket from a neighboring pad 41. The Vulcan rocket was raised upright on the launch pad at around 1 p.m. EST, leading to a revised target launch time of 5:35 p.m. EST.
The mission will be covered live by Spaceflight Now, with live views of the Falcon 9 available in the Launch Pad Live stream.
The first stage booster for this flight, tail number B1067, will be making its 16th flight, making it the fourth booster to reach this milestone. Notably, B1060, B1061, and B1067 have each launched two Crew Dragon spacecraft during their lifetimes. Additionally, B1080 is expected to join this group later in the month when it embarks on its fifth flight with the Axiom Mission 3 astronauts aboard Crew Dragon Freedom.
Following liftoff, B1067 is expected to land on the droneship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ approximately eight-and-a-half minutes later, marking the 56th successful booster landing on ASOG since its deployment. The other East Coast-based droneship, ‘Just Read the Instructions,’ is currently undergoing servicing in North Carolina.
Looking ahead, the next SpaceX mission in line is the Starlink 7-10 flight, scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base on Tuesday, Jan. 9. The launch window opens around 9 p.m. PST (12 a.m. EST, 0500 UTC on Jan. 9).
SpaceX has not officially announced the number of Starlink satellites that will be deployed during the upcoming launch, but the company continues to expand its space-based internet service with regular satellite deployments.
