SpaceX got lucky with Starlink launch

CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — There was no bad luck for SpaceX as it launched more than 20 Starlink satellites on Friday. 

SpaceX stated that its Falcon 9 rocket sent up Starlink 12-26 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 11:28 a.m. ET. 

The launch window opened from 11:21 a.m. ET until 11:44 a.m. ET, meaning SpaceX had during that timeframe to launch its rocket.

The 45th Weather Squadron gave a “15% →40%” chance against liftoff, with the concerns being the cumulus cloud rule.

Find out more about the weather criteria for a Falcon 9 launch.

If the launch was scrubbed, the next attempt would have been Saturday at 7:18 a.m. ET.

Going into the blue

For this mission, old-timer Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1078 is being used. It has 20 missions under its belt, including one crewed launch:

1. Crew-6
2. SES O3b mPOWER
3. USSF-124 mission
4. Bluebird
5. Starlink 6-4
6. Starlink 6-8
7. Starlink 6-16
8. Starlink 6-31
9. Starlink 6-46
10. Starlink 6-53
11. Starlink 6-60
12. Starlink 10-2
13. Starlink 10-6
14. Starlink 10-13
15. Starlink 6-76
16. Starlink 12-6
17. Starlink 12-9
18. Starlink 12-16
19. Starlink 6-72
20. Starlink 6-84

After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas that was in the Atlantic Ocean.

About the mission

The Starlink company’s 23 satellites will call low-Earth orbit home and will join the thousands of their brothers and sisters there.

Once deployed and in their orbit, they will provide internet service to many parts of Earth, with 13 of the 23 having Direct to Cell capabilities.

SpaceX owns Starlink.

Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been recording Starlink satellites.

Before this launch, McDowell recorded the following:

• 7,734 are in orbit
• 6,846 are in operational orbit