Cape Canaveral, Fla. SpaceX The potential launch on Sunday (.30) is preparing for the doubleheader, and you can watch the action live online.
Sunday morning, of the company Starlink Internet Megacontelation SpaceX is expected to grow as it plans to launch an additional 60 satellites into space on top of the Falcon 9 rocket. Just nine hours later, a separate one Falcon 9 Marking the first such mission to fly from the Cape since the 1960s, the Argentine satellite SAOCOM-1B is to be launched into polar orbit.
The Starlink mission pad 39 is scheduled to begin at 10:12 a.m. EDT (1412 GMT) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. SOCOM-1B will fly from SpaceX’s other Florida launch pad, to the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex-40. That liftoff is scheduled for 7-18 EDT (2318 GMT) in the evening.
You can see both launches Lives here on space.com And on our homepage, courtesy of SpaceX, the lift starts 15 minutes before Fathi. You will also see projections Directly from SpaceX.
Related: SpaceX’s Starlink satellite launches in megacons installation photos
The launch doubleheader is contingent on several factors. First, the weather needs to co-operate, and summer in Florida can be difficult. The most recent weather reports, released by the 45th Air Force Squadron, do not seem too promising. 50% chance Favorable conditions for Starlink and just one 40% chance Favorable conditions for SAOCOM-1B.
SpaceX also needs to get launch approvals from the eastern range, which oversees all launch operations on the east coast. The company announced a possible launch date on Friday (Aug. 28), but it is expected that the United Launch Alliance (ULA) will launch the Delta IV heavy rocket early Saturday morning (Aug. 29) from Cape Canaveral, which Did not happen.
The Delta IV heavy engines were set on fire and the on-board computer detected an anomaly and then quickly shut them down. The ULA has not yet announced the cause of the shutdown but has said it will be a week before its triple-barrel rocket tries to take off again.
The Delta IV heavy launch directly affects SpaceX’s plans as it will deliver a national security payload. Satellite on top of a massive rocket for the U.S. government’s spy reconnaissance agency, the National Reconnaissance Office Fee (NRO). The hierarchy comes when it comes to launching payloads, while NRO satellites took precedence over all other missions, followed by civilian (such as NASA) and then commercial payloads.
SAOCOM-1B will be the first satellite to be launched into polar orbit from Cape Canaveral since the 1960s. In particular, polar-orbiting missions are launched from the West Coast, at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. That’s because they can fly north or south from open water, which is not the case in Florida.
Most launches from Florida blast on an anterior track, while polar launches need to move north or south. Debris from the Thor rocket in the late 1960s Reportedly fell on Cuba and killed a cow. The incident resulted in the polar projections being moved to California.
Officers were later able to secure the right to launch such missions from Florida, but only if the rocket had an automatic flight termination system, which the Falcon 9 does. For the SAOCOM-1B mission, the Air Force acquired the Southeast Corridor that passes through Cuba, while the first phase of the rocket will return to the ground and land at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral.
There is little concern that the SAOCOM-1B mission’s unique flight path puts the Space Launch Complex 37 (and Delta IV Heavy) at risk. As the ULA was unable to get heavy land on Saturday morning, there was some speculation that the SAOCOM-1B mission would have to stay down until further notice. However, SpaceX The communications team tweeted That, until Saturday afternoon, both missions were still for Sunday.
Related: Why SpaceX’s Starlink satellites caught astronomers guarding
SpaceX hopes to provide global broadband coverage with its Starlink megacons installation. Users on the ground will employ a smaller terminal (not larger than a laptop) to connect to the ever-evolving flying overhead.
To date, SpaceX has launched more than 600 Internet-beaming satellites. Elon Musk, the company’s founder and CEO, said there must be 500 to 800 satellites in orbit before service can begin. Users are now beta-testing the service, but many more satellites could be launched before Musk and SpaceX connect the world.
On Sunday morning the weather looks clear, with only a 50% chance Favorable weather For Starlink, according to forecasts from the 45th Weather Squadron. Temperatures in the area are believed to be around F degrees Fahrenheit (૨ degrees Celsius), with some thick clouds being a major cause for concern.
The next day, weather conditions worsened slightly with only a 40% chance of launching for SAOCOM-1B. Temperatures in the area should remain around 83 degrees Fahrenheit, but forecasters are concerned about the possibility of hurricane clouds.
SpaceX has deployed one of its two drones, the CF Course I Still Love You, in the designated recovery zone in the Atlantic Ocean. Here the giant ship Starlink will wait for the first phase booster of the Falcon 9 to return to Earth. The first phase used in the SAOCOM-1B mission will land at Terra Farma at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and locals should be treated to some sonic booms.
SpaceX is also expected to try to recover the Falcon 9 payload fairings or nose cone, as the company has deployed two of its net-equipped boats at various locations. One ship will be deployed in each recovery zone in the Atlantic Ocean to support the recovery efforts of both missions.
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