SpaceX is scheduled to launch 22 more of its Starlink internet satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The launch is planned to take place on Monday morning, with a four-hour window opening at 1:33 a.m. EST.
The launch can be watched live through SpaceX’s account on X (formerly known as Twitter), with coverage beginning approximately five minutes before liftoff. If all goes as planned, the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage will return to Earth for a vertical landing on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, situated in the Pacific Ocean, about 8.5 minutes after launch.
This particular Falcon 9 first stage has an impressive flight resume, having completed 15 launches and landings. This includes nine Starlink launches and the successful NASA mission called the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, where a spacecraft was intentionally collided with an asteroid in September 2022.
About 62.5 minutes after liftoff, the 22 Starlink satellites will deploy into low Earth orbit from the Falcon 9’s upper stage.
This launch follows a busy weekend for SpaceX, as they also launched 23 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday night. Additionally, the second-ever test flight of the Starship was conducted on Saturday, which ended with an unexpected explosion eight minutes after liftoff.
The launch was initially planned for Sunday but was delayed after propellant loading had already started.