Spaceline News Archives
June 2023
Falcon 9 Starlink 5-12 Launch, Photo Courtesy SpaceX
Falcon 9 Launches 56 Starlink Satellites
June 23, 2023 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 56 Starlink satellites at 11:35 a.m. EDT today from Launch Pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The first stage booster employed today was being flown for the eighth time, having previously supported the CRS-24, Hotbird-13F, OneWeb-15, SES-18/19 and three Starlink missions. The booster was successfully recovered today with a landing on the "Just Read the Instructions" drone ship, positioned on the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral. The mission, designated Starlink 5-12, brings to a total of 4,698 Starlink satellites launched to date, although not all of these are operational or still in orbit. Starlink is a SpaceX-owned and operated constellation of broadband Internet satellites, intended to provide space-based Internet service to users worldwide. The service is currently available on all seven continents to over 1.5 million subscribers.
Falcon 9 Starlink 5-12 Launch, Photo Courtesy SpaceX
Delta IV Heavy NROL-68 Launch, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Delta IV Heavy Launches NROL-68 Spy Satellite
June 22, 2023 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
A United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket successfully launched the NROL-68 satellite at 5:18 a.m. EDT today from Launch Pad 37B on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. NROL-68 is a spy satellite owned and operated by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The specific purpose of the satellite and its mission are classified. This was the second to last launch of a Delta IV Heavy rocket, the last of which is set for launch in 2024.
Delta IV Heavy NROL-68 Launch, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 Satria Launch, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 Launches Satria Satellite For Indonesia
June 18, 2023 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the Satria satellite for Indonesia at 6:21 p.m. EDT today from Launch Pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The first stage booster employed today was being flown for the 12th time, having previously supported the CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat-5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Hotbird-13G, O3B-MPOWER and four Starlink missions. The booster was successfully recovered today with a landing on the "A Shortfall of Gravitas" drone ship, positioned on the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles east of Cape Canaveral. Owned and operated by Indonesian satellite company PSN and built by Thales Alenia Space, the 10,100-pound Satria satellite is designed to provide broadband Internet and other communications services intended to provide connectivity to the more than 6,000 inhabited islands which make up the Asian nation. Communications services will be available to the Indonesian population via schools, hospitals and other public use facilities. The Satria satellite will be deployed in a geostationary orbit about 22,000 miles above Earth at 146 degrees east longitude and has a design life of about 15 years.
Falcon 9 Satria Launch, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 Starlink 5-11 Launch, Photo Courtesy SpaceX
Falcon 9 Launches 52 Starlink Satellites
June 12, 2023 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 52 Starlink satellites at 3:10 a.m. EDT today from Launch Pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The first stage booster employed today was being flown for the ninth time, having previously supported the SES-22, HAKUTO-R, Amazonas Nexus, CRS-27 and four Starlink missions. The booster was successfully recovered today with a landing on the "Just Read the Instructions" drone ship, positioned on the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral. The mission, designated Starlink 5-11, brings to a total of 4,595 Starlink satellites launched to date, although not all of these are operational or still in orbit. Starlink is a SpaceX-owned and operated constellation of broadband Internet satellites, intended to provide space-based Internet service to users worldwide. The service is currently available on all seven continents to over 1.5 million subscribers.
Falcon 9 Starlink 5-11 Streak Shot, Photo Courtesy SpaceX
Falcon 9 CRS-28 Launch, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 Launches CRS-28 Payload For NASA
June 5, 2023 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the CRS-28 payload for NASA at 11:47 a.m. EDT today from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. The first stage booster employed today was being flown for the fifth time, having previously supported the Crew-5, GPS III-SV06, Inmarsat-6F2 and one Starlink mission. The booster was successfully recovered today with a landing on the "A Shortfall of Gravitas" drone ship, positioned on the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles northeast of Cape Canaveral. The unmanned Cargo Dragon spacecraft launched today was being flown for the fourth time, having previously supported the CRS-21, CRS-23 and CRS-25 missions. CRS-28 marks the 28th flight to the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services contract between NASA and SpaceX. The CRS-28 payload carries about 7,200 pounds of hardware, provisions and experiments, including two new roll-out solar arrays to increase power to ISS. CRS-28 is set to autonomously dock to ISS at about 5:50 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, June 6 and will remain at ISS for about 21 days.
Falcon 9 CRS-28 Downrange, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 Starlink 6-4 Launch, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 Launches 22 Starlink V2-Mini Satellites
June 4, 2023 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 22 Starlink V2-Mini satellites at 8:20 a.m. EDT today from Launch Pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The first stage booster employed today was being flown for the third time, having previously supported the Crew-6 and O3B MPOWER 3/4 missions. The booster was successfully recovered today with a landing on the "Just Read the Instructions" drone ship, positioned on the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral. The mission, designated Starlink 6-4, was the fourth flight of next-generation Starlink V2-Mini satellites and brings to a total of 4,543 Starlink satellites launched to date, although not all of these are operational or still in orbit. Starlink is a SpaceX-owned and operated constellation of broadband Internet satellites, intended to provide space-based Internet service to users worldwide. The service is currently available on all seven continents to over 1.5 million subscribers.
Falcon 9 Starlink 6-4 Launch, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
