A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Starlink 6-55 mission on May 2, 2024. Image: Adam Bernstein/Spaceflight Now
Update 10:58 p.m. EDT: SpaceX launched the Starlink 6-55 mission.
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket on its 30th Starlink flight of the year. The mission added 23 more satellites to the mega constellation.
Liftoff of the Starlink 6-55 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) happened at 10:37 p.m. EDT (0237 UTC). The 45th Weather Squadron at the Cape forecast about 85 percent chance of favorable conditions at liftoff with some consideration for clouds in the area.
The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1067 in the SpaceX fleet, made its 19th flight. It previously supported two astronaut missions (Crew-3 and Crew-4), two cargo missions to the International Space Station (CRS-22 and CRS-25) as well as nine Starlink flights.
About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1067 landed on the SpaceX droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ (ASOG). This was the 67th landing for ASOG and the 303rd booster landing to date.
Prior to this mission launch, SpaceX has launched 656 Starlink satellites in 2024 over 29 flights. According to astronomer and expert spacecraft tracker Jonathan McDowell, there are currently 5,896 Starlink satellites on orbit.
Earlier in the day, SpaceX confirmed that access to its satellite internet service is now available in Uruguay. The update on coverage comes on a day where the company also relocated its Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard the International Space Station and launched another Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
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