SpaceX is set to launch another batch of its Starlink satellites into orbit from California early Monday morning (October 20), and you’ll be able to watch the action live.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 28 of SpaceX Star link Internet satellites planned to be launched from California Vandenberg Space Base Monday, during a four-hour window that opens at 2:24 a.m. EDT (06:24 GMT; 10:24 p.m. California local time on October 19).
EspaceX will broadcast the launch live via his website and counts X, starting about five minutes before launch.
If all goes as planned today, the Falcon 9 first stage will return to Earth today, landing in the Pacific Ocean aboard the SpaceX drone “Of Course I Still Love You” approximately 8.5 minutes after takeoff.
This will be the 11th launch and landing of this particular booster, which has the designation 1088.
Previous Booster 1088 Missions
Meanwhile, the rocket’s upper stage will continue to transport the 28 Starlink satellites to LEO, where they will be deployed approximately 60 minutes after launch.
They will join more than 8,600 active satellites in the Starlink megaconstellation, by far the largest network of spacecraft ever assembled.
Editor’s note: This launch was initially scheduled for Saturday (October 18). Had this goal been met, the mission would have launched the 10,000th Starlink satellite to date, a milestone highlighted by the original version of this story. But the target date was pushed back to Monday (Oct. 20) and this story was updated at 11:25 a.m. ET on Oct. 18 to reflect that change.