If all goes as planned, SpaceX will launch two missions this weekend, one from California and another from Florida.

Today, they plan to launch Sentinel-6, an ocean monitoring satellite into polar orbit from Vandenberg AFB. Liftoff is set for 12:17 Eastern (9:17 am Pacific) This booster is set to return to Earth on Landing Zone 4 at Vandenberg.

If all goes to plan, they will then launch another batch of 60 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral on Sunday. That launch is set for 9:56 pm Eastern. They plan a barge landing for this one.

You can watch both launches via the SpaceX website HERE or on various channels on Youtube.

Enjoy!

Webcast also on NASA TV since this is partly a NASA payload. Coverage will start momentarily. Weather looks 80% probable good for launch and they are about to begin fueling for a 9:17 am Pacific liftoff.

I did some reading on Starlink. Pretty cool from a technology perspective but sounds like the infrastructure needed to deploy SkyNet from the Terminator movies.

That was an INCREDIBLE launch and landing. Perfectly clear air, video footage all the way to booster landing, and stunning shots of the second stage flight.

Great to watch. The best view ever,I think, of a launch!

Except for the inane chatterboxes they used as commentators, it was indeed an incredible launch and landing to watch.

I am still amazed at the first stage landings.

Round Two...



SpaceX is targeting Sunday, November 22 for launch of 60 Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The instantaneous launch window is at 9:56 p.m. EST.

The Falcon 9 first stage rocket booster supporting this mission previously flew on six other missions. Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, which will be located in the Atlantic Ocean. One half of Falcon 9’s fairing previously supported a mission, and the other half previously two.

You can watch a live webcast of this mission, which will begin about 15 minutes prior to liftoff, by clicking HERE

Last month, SpaceX launched its “Better Than Nothing Beta” test program. Service invites were sent to a portion of those who requested availability updates on Starlink.com and who live in serviceable areas. A couple weeks ago, Canada granted Starlink regulatory approval and last week SpaceX rolled out the service to parts of parts of southern Canada.

Rocky, do we have any comparison between the Falcon 9 rocket system and other competitors as far as reliability figures go? It seems that the failure rate of the Falcon 9 is pretty low.

Second, do you know what the expected service life of a Falcon 9 first stage is? This one has made six round trips, which made me wonder what retirement age is for a rocket?

Rocky this is a new generation they are talking to. You have to reach through the microphone and smack the little fellows. Be Well, RZ.

Dutch, as far as I can recollect, they've lost only two Falcon 9s, one during a static fire test on the ground, and one in flight. Both, btw, due to problems with second stage helium bottles. That's less than either the ULA AtlasV or the European Ariane, both of which have 100% success rates - but far fewer launches than the Falcon 9.

Both NASA and the Space Force have now agreed that the Falcon is reliable enough that they are willing to put their payloads (including manned launches) on used Falcons. Both had previously demanded new boosters for every launch for their payloads. (That always seemed bass ackwards for me. A new one is unproven, while a used one has a track record of success.)

This fifth generation of Falcon 9s is expected to fly at least 10 times, and with major overhaul, perhaps as many as 100 flights each. The economics are staggering. To launch one kilogram of cargo on the Space Shuttle cost an estimated $55,000. Due to reuse, it now costs about $2,700 a kilo on a Falcon 9, and SpaceX says that with their upcoming Starship rockets, costs could drop to as low as $200 a kilo. By way of comparison, the beleaguered and bureaucratically bungled NASA Artemis throwaway rocket is projected to cost more than a BILLION dollars per launch.

RZ, I about smacked my monitor at the way those "commentators" prattled on in "Twitbook" style. Scotty Powers must be spinning.

Lot of BTU’s right there!!

Yup. Any of 'em would warm our cockles.

Scrubbed for tonight. Looking at Monday, weather permitting.

Webcast is up for the Starlink launch, now set for 9:13 pm. CLICK HERE

Another success, and the record-setting seventh flight of this booster.

That mylar stuff looks like the wrappers on my pop-tarts.

Need to get Rick to make a special forum for rocket launches.😁

Plainsman, that Mylar stuff IS the wrapping on your pop tarts. Mylar is yet another product that was developed for the space program and found numerous other uses afterward. You can thank the space program for all that kind of packaging.

Impressive. Had to watch replay. Rocky, what is the material that makes up the rocket engine that allows it to be reused?

I don't know the answer to that.

If you want to watch something really neat, catch this short video from RocketLab of stage separation on their most recent flight.

Impressive!