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Starship IFT-6 Launch Thread! (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
1 comments fedilink
 
 

Well folks, it's time for Starship IFT-6! Another booster RTLS and chopsticks catch attempt, as well as the first in-space Raptor relight attempt.

| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2024-11-19 22:00 | |

|

| | Scheduled for (local) | 2024-11-19 16:00 (CDT) | | Launch Window (UTC) | 2024-11-19 22:00 to 2024-11-19 22:30 (30 minutes) | | Launch site | Pad A, SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA. | | Booster | B13 | | Ship | S31 | | Booster landing | Chopsticks catch at Pad A or soft water landing in Gulf of Mexico | | Ship landing | Indian Ocean |

Webcasts

| Stream | Link | |

|

| | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucEu075bgx0 | | Everyday Astronaut | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjDFirLcQDM | | Spaceflight Now | https://www.youtube.com/@SpaceflightNowVideo/streams | | NASASpaceflight | Stakeout stream, launch stream | | LabPadre | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdGJ5p4PP1M | | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSxOuFrqyks | | VideoFromSpace | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7cM90N-CDc | | SpaceX | | | The Space Devs | |

Stats

Sourced from NextSpaceflight and r/SpaceX:

☑️ 4th Starship Full Stack launch this year

☑️ 6th Starship Full Stack launch overall

☑️ 119th SpaceX launch this year

☑️ 431st SpaceX launch overall (including Starship hops)

☑️ 4th launch from Pad A this year

☑️ 37 days, 9:35:00 turnaround for this pad

Mission Details 🚀

Link to Starship Dev thread

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Starship Development Thread November 2024 (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
20 comments fedilink
 
 

SpaceX Starship page

Portions of this thread copied from a Starship Dev thread on r/SpaceX.

FAQ

  1. When next launch? (IFT-6) SpaceX are targeting Tuesday Nov 19th at 16:00 CT (22:00 UTC) for flight 6. Mission page with info on mission objectives and changes since flight 5.
  2. When previous launch? (IFT-5)? Booster 12 and Ship 30 launched on 2024-10-13.
  3. What was the result? Booster caught by chopsticks, ship makes an on-target splashdown.

Quick Links

Nerdle Cam | Lab Cam | Sapphire Cam | Sentinel Cam | Rover Cam | Rover 2.0 Cam | Rocket Ranch Cam | Plex Cam | NSF Starbase Live

Starship Dev October | IFT-5 launch thread | Starship Dev 57 | Starship Dev 56 | IFT-4 launch thread | Starship Dev 55

Official SpaceX Starship Update Video (2024-04-06)

Road closures

Cameron County website - @bocaroad Mastodon bot

*As of 2024-11-17

  • 2-hour road delays are posted for Nov 1st (01:00 to 04:00) and 2nd (00:00 and 03:00) for transport from Massey’s to factory. (Presumably S33 rollback)
  • 1-hour road delays are posted for Nov 11th (19:00 to 22:00) and 12th (10:00 to 13:00) for transport from factory to pad, likely B13 rollout.
  • 1-hour road delays are posted for Nov 13th (00:00 to 03:00 or 12:00 to 15:00) and 14th (00:00 to 03:00) for transport from factory to pad, either backups for B13 rollout or for S31 rollout.
  • 8-hour road closure is scheduled for Nov 17th (08:00 to 16:00) for non-flight testing activities.
  • 14-hour road closures are posted for Nov 18th, 19th, and 20th (all 08:00 to 22:00), for flight testing activities, presumably IFT-6.

Vehicle Status

*As of 2024-11-17

Follow Ring Watchers on Twitter and Discord for more.

Ship Location Status Comment
S20 Rocket Garden Pending scrapping?
S26 Rocket Garden Pending scrapping? Static fire Oct. 20. No fins or heat shield, multiple mysterious changes. Completed 3 cryo tests, latest on Oct 10. Rolls to Massey's May 8th, cryo test May 24th, static fired Jun 3rd, rolls to rocket garden Jun 12th. Moves to Megabay 2 Aug 13th, raptors removed Aug 14th.
S30 Indian Ocean Successful splashdown 2x cryo: Jan 3rd and Jan 5th. Engines installed ~Apr 9th. Static fired May 8th. Heatshield replacement completed by Jul 20. Static fired Jul 26th. Raptor replacement Aug 3rd. Spin prime Aug 6th. Full stack cryo tests Sep 23rd and Oct 7th. FTS installed Oct 9th. Launched Oct 13th, with on-target splashdown in Indian Ocean.
S31 Stacked on B13 Pending launch Cryo tested May 12th, suffers small electrical fire. Underwent repairs in the Highbay, rolls back to Massey's Jul 1. Cryo tested Jul 2nd and 3rd. Engines installed by Jul 26th. Rolls to Massey's Sep 6th. Partial (aborted) cryo test Sep 8th. Static fired Sep 18th. Preflight checkouts completed Nov 17th.
S32 Rocket Garden Pending scrapping? Fully stacked, fore flaps installed but not aft flaps
S33 Megabay 2 Pending engine install First V2 Starship. Nosecone spotted Jul 14th. Forward section spotted Jul 27th. Stacking completed Aug 23. Cryo tested Oct 29th (partial), 30th (full), and 31st (full). Raptor installation begins Nov 9th.
S34 Starfactory Stacking Methane header tank spotted Aug 14th. Nosecone stacked on payload bay Sep 20th.
S35 Starfactory Parts spotted Parts spotted Sep 20th.
Booster Location Status Comment
B12 Megabay 1 Post-flight inspection Cryo x2, Static fire Jul 15th. Full stack cryo tests Sep 23rd and Oct 7th. FTS installed Oct 9th. Launched as IFT-5 on Oct 13, returned to launch site for successful chopstick catch. Moved to Megabay 1 Oct 15th.
B13 Pad A Pending launch Cryo tests Apr 26th (methane tank) and Apr 29th (LOX tank). Static fired Oct 24th. Preflight checkouts completed Nov 17th.
B14 Megabay 1 Pending gridfin install Stacked Apr 26th, Cryo tested Oct 4th and 5th.
B14.1 Sanchez Resting Multiple catch simulation "slap tests" performed on Jun 26th and 27th.
B15 Build Site Assembly Potential aft end, common dome section, aft tank section, and forward dome spotted.
B16 Build Site Assembly Parts spotted
B17 Build Site Assembly Parts spotted

Resources

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SpaceX president predicts rapid increase in Starship launch rate (arstechnica.com)
submitted 5 hours ago by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
0 comments fedilink
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SpaceX prepare for Starship Flight 6, another Booster catch and a daylight Ship splashdown (www.nasaspaceflight.com)
submitted 10 hours ago by llamacoffee@lemmy.world to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
0 comments fedilink
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SpaceX launches mystery ‘Optus-X’ on Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center – Spaceflight Now (spaceflightnow.com)
submitted 1 day ago by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
0 comments fedilink
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GSAT-20 launch thread (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
2 comments fedilink
 
 

| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2024-11-18, 18:31 | |

|

| | Scheduled for (local) | 2024-11-18, 13:31 (EST) | | Launch site | SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA | | Booster | B1073-19 | | Landing | Just Read the Instructions | | Payload | GSAT-20 | | Customer | NewSpace India Limited | | Mission success criteria | Successful delivery of payload to Geostationary Transfer Orbit |

Webcasts

| Stream | Link | |

|

| | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMwbJidG4BA | Spaceflight Now | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKerzlu_kH8 | NASASpaceflight | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkba5htG-Hg | The Launch Pad | none | SpaceX | https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1858575637319155938 | The Space Devs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6m_rnzprWI

Stats

Sourced from NextSpaceflight and r/SpaceX:

☑️ 55th launch from SLC-40 this year

☑️ 4 days, 5:10:00 turnaround for this pad

☑️ 46th consecutive successful Falcon 9 launch (if successful)

☑️ 97th landing on JRTI

☑️ 375th Falcon family booster landing, 383rd Falcon recovery attempt

☑️ 113th Falcon 9 mission this year, 399th Falcon 9 mission overall

☑️ 115th SpaceX mission of 2024, 415th mission overall (excluding Starship flights)

☑️ 118th SpaceX launch this year, 431st SpaceX launch overall (including Starship flights)

Mission info

GSAT-20 is a communication satellite jointly being developed by Indian Space Research Organisation Satellite Centre and Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre. GSAT-20 will be a continuation of GSAT series of communication satellites. The satellite is intended to add data transmission capacity to the communication infrastructure required by Smart Cities Mission of India.

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Starlink 9-12 launch bulletin (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
6 comments fedilink
 
 

Starlink Group 9-12 launch out of SLC-4E in California currently scheduled for 2024-11-18 05:53 UTC, or 2024-11-17 21:53 local time (PST). B1071-20 to land on Of Course I Still Love You.

Webcasts:

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Optus-X/TD7 launch thread (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
8 comments fedilink
 
 

| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2024-11-17, 22:28 | |

|

| | Scheduled for (local) | 2024-11-17, 17:28 (EST) | | Launch site | LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA | | Booster | B1077-16 | | Landing | A Shortfall of Gravitas | | Payload | Optus-X/TD7 | | Customer | Optus | | Mission success criteria | Successful delivery of payload to Geostationary Transfer Orbit |

Webcasts

| Stream | Link | |

|

| | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUgL7P8LrOk | Spaceflight Now | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9a0aMJ7Lyo | NASASpaceflight | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p11tCjqKN5I | The Launch Pad | none | SpaceX | https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1858273649871982643 | The Space Devs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Uy2bWZN4S0

Stats

Sourced from NextSpaceflight and r/SpaceX:

☑️ 21st launch from LC-39A this year

☑️ 6 days, 5:06:00 turnaround for this pad

☑️ 44th consecutive successful Falcon 9 launch (if successful)

☑️ 85th landing on ASOG

☑️ 371st Falcon family booster landing, 381st Falcon recovery attempt

☑️ 111th Falcon 9 mission this year, 397th Falcon 9 mission overall

☑️ 113th SpaceX mission of 2024, 413th mission overall (excluding Starship flights)

☑️ 116th SpaceX launch this year, 427th SpaceX launch overall (including Starship flights)

Mission info

An unannounced geostationary communication satellite built by Northrop Grumman, alleged for the Australian telecommunications operator Optus. Details TBD.

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The sixth flight test of Starship is targeted to launch Tuesday, November 19. The 30-minute launch window will open at 4:00 p.m. CT. (www.spacex.com)
submitted 2 days ago by burble@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
3 comments fedilink
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Shotwell predicts Starship to be most valuable part of SpaceX (spacenews.com)
submitted 3 days ago by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
4 comments fedilink
 
 

“The company is incredibly valuable, I think, right now because of Starlink,” she said. “Starlink will add a zero, probably, at least as we continue to grow the Starlink system.”

That growth comes in many different markets, from residential broadband services to maritime and aviation connectivity. SpaceX will begin offering direct-to-device services “within the next month or so,” she said, with an initial version for “very light data” and text messaging.

However, she argued that Starship will be even more valuable to SpaceX in the long run. “Ultimately, I think Starship will be the thing that takes us over the top as one of the most valuable companies. We can’t even envision what Starship is going to do to humanity and humans’ lives, and I think that will be the most valuable part of SpaceX.”

One example she offered was using Starship to launch a satellite. If that satellite was not working, she explained, the satellite could be brought back into Starship’s payload bay to either be repaired or returned to Earth.

She predicted that Starship will rapidly eclipse the company’s existing Falcon family of rockets, which has launched more than 400 times. “I would not be surprised if we fly 400 Starship launches in the next four years,” she said. That will be in parallel with Falcon 9, but she suggested that vehicle could be retired, along with the Dragon spacecraft used for crew and cargo missions, in as little as six to eight years as customers move to Starship.

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[rykllan] 2024-11-15 Falcon flightworthy boosters overview (pbs.twimg.com)
submitted 3 days ago by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
2 comments fedilink
 
 

Infographic source: rykllan

https://x.com/_rykllan/status/1857425165669306610

  • B1067 is the first booster to stick its 23rd landing. (B1061 and B1062 each launch 23 times but failed recovery or were intentionally expended)
  • B1063 in second place with 21 flights.
  • B1069 and B1071 tied for third place at 19 flights.
  • B1073 and B1076 tied for fourth place at 18 flights.
  • B1077 in fifth place at 15 flights.

https://x.com/_rykllan/status/1857425170098434544

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Starlink 6-68 launch bulletin (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
1 comments fedilink
 
 

Starlink Group 6-68 launch out of SLC-40 in Florida currently scheduled for 2024-11-14 10:45 UTC, or 2024-11-14 05:45 local time (EST). Booster 1076-18 to land on Just Read the Instructions.

Webcasts:

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Starlink 9-11 launch bulletin (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
6 comments fedilink
 
 

Starlink Group 9-11 launch out of SLC-4E in California currently scheduled for 2024-11-14 05:23 UTC, or 2024-11-13 21:23 local time (PST). B1082-8 to land on Of Course I Still Love You.

Webcasts:

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Starship preparations as rollouts begin ahead of full stack testing (www.nasaspaceflight.com)
submitted 6 days ago by llamacoffee@lemmy.world to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
0 comments fedilink
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SpaceX lands Falcon 9 booster for a record 23rd time amid Koreasat-6A mission – Spaceflight Now (spaceflightnow.com)
submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
1 comments fedilink
 
 

Notably, this also marked the first time a booster landed for a 23rd time. The other two boosters that launched for a 23rd time, B1061 and B1062, were taken out of service.

B1061 was intentionally expended for the Hera mission in 2024 October, and B1062 tipped over during it's landing attempt after launching Starlink 8-6. B1067 is the first to stick its 23rd landing.

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SpaceX and LG Energy Solution Partner For Starship Battery Deal (driveteslacanada.ca)
submitted 1 week ago by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
1 comments fedilink
 
 

Until recently, SpaceX has relied primarily on self-produced batteries for its spacecraft. However, as the demand for consistent and advanced power systems has grown, the need for specialized external suppliers became evident. According to industry insiders that spoke with the Korea Economic Daily (KED), LG Energy Solution will provide batteries for both primary and backup power in the Starship rocket.

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SpaceX Pitches NASA on 'Marslink,' a Version of Starlink for the Red Planet (www.pcmag.com)
submitted 1 week ago by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
4 comments fedilink
 
 

The project was mentioned during Thursday’s meeting of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group, which is dedicated to supporting NASA missions to the Red Planet.

In one presentation, NASA staffers talked about the space agency buying commercial services from aerospace companies to help explore Mars, according to SpaceFlight Now. This includes possibly contracting SpaceX, which currently provides its Starlink satellite internet system to over 4 million users on Earth.

Slides from the presentation show that NASA asked commercial providers to submit proposals that explained how their technology could be applied to Mars. In one slide, NASA listed a concept from SpaceX to develop “Marslink,” which would be based on Starlink satellite designs.

SpaceX’s concept was among two other ideas about developing “next-generation relay services” capable of beaming 4Mbps or more in data, but across 1.5 astronomical units, or the current distance between Mars and the Sun. This means these satellites would be able to relay data to Earth and other spacecraft across vast stretches of space, likely through Starlink's laser communication system.

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KoreaSat 6A launch thread (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
7 comments fedilink
 
 

| Scheduled for (UTC) | 2024-11-11, 17:22 | |

|

| | Scheduled for (local) | 2024-11-11, 12:22 (EST) | | Launch site | LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA | | Booster | B1067-23 | | Landing | Landing Zone 1 | | Payload | KoreaSat 6A | | Customer | KT SAT, subsidiary of KT Corporation | | Mission success criteria | Successful delivery of payload to Geostationary Transfer Orbit |

Webcasts

| Stream | Link | |

|

| | Space Affairs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcG3fqE08RE | Spaceflight Now | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhsYugEZ2FA | NASASpaceflight | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFuqyR97BFI | The Launch Pad | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZoyc7L4LUM | SpaceX | https://x.com/SpaceX/status/1856021162981273691 | The Space Devs | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2QiqAKU-tI

Stats

Sourced from NextSpaceflight and r/SpaceX:

☑️ 20th launch from LC-39A this year

☑️ 6 days, 14:52:29 turnaround for this pad

☑️ 40th consecutive successful Falcon 9 launch (if successful)

☑️ 47th landing on LZ-1

☑️ 367th Falcon family booster landing, 377th Falcon recovery attempt

☑️ 107th Falcon 9 mission this year, 393rd Falcon 9 mission overall

☑️ 109th SpaceX mission of 2024, 409th mission overall (excluding Starship flights)

☑️ 112th SpaceX launch this year, 423rd SpaceX launch overall (including Starship flights)

Mission info

The Koreasat 6A spacecraft, built by Thales Alenia Space, will have 20 transponders for fixed satellite services and six for TV broadcasting to replace the Koreasat 6 launched in 2010.

Koreasat 6A will be based on the manufacturer’s Spacebus 4000B2 platform and is expected to weigh about 3.5 metric tons at launch. It will be designed to operate for at least 15 years.

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Starlink 6-69 launch bulletin (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
7 comments fedilink
 
 

Starlink Group 6-69 launch out of SLC-40 in Florida currently scheduled for 2024-11-11 21:28 UTC, or 2024-11-11 16:28 local time (EST). Booster 1080-12 to land on A Shortfall of Gravitas.

Webcasts:

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Starlink 9-10 launch bulletin (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
7 comments fedilink
 
 

Starlink Group 9-10 launch out of SLC-4E in California currently scheduled for 2024-11-09 06:14 UTC, or 2024-11-08 22:14 local time (PST). B1081-11 to land on Of Course I Still Love You.

Webcasts:

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SpaceX no longer targeting 144 (or 148) launches in 2024 (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 week ago by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
0 comments fedilink
 
 

Some info from by Kiko Dontchev, VP of Launch at SpaceX

https://x.com/TurkeyBeaver/status/1853983823555350856

Congrats to the @SpaceX team on our 400th Falcon launch!!!

While we will not make our original goal of 144 launches, we are still targeting 30 more launches in 2024 (~one every two days). It will not be easy and our work is cut out for us, but the team is all in. The only way we will achieve this goal is if we focus on safety and reliability. Above all else, we must keep the team safe and deliver 100% mission success!

https://x.com/xdNiBoR/status/1854009195148058660

Wait?? The original goal was 148!

https://x.com/TurkeyBeaver/status/1854009618986316164

The original goal was actually 144, but then we only launched 96 times in 2023 so we added four back to make up the debt. Next year we will set a target agnostic of where we end in 2024. It will be higher than 2024 😜

That would be 29 more launches in 2024, Starlink 6-77 launched since these comments from Dontchev.

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Anger in Taiwan over reports SpaceX asked suppliers to move abroad (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 1 week ago by neme@lemm.ee to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
1 comments fedilink
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The next Starship launch may occur in less than two weeks (arstechnica.com)
submitted 1 week ago by llamacoffee@lemmy.world to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
1 comments fedilink
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Starlink 6-77 launch bulletin, take 2 (and take 3) (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
6 comments fedilink
 
 

Starlink Group 6-77 launch out of SLC-40 in Florida currently scheduled for 2024-11-07 20:19 UTC, or 2024-11-07 15:19 local time (EST). Booster 1085-3 to land on Just Read The Instructions.

The first launch attempt for this mission was conducted on Nov 3rd but aborted at T-2:40 due to a helium issue on Stage 1.

The second launch attempt was scheduled for Nov 6th, but was scrubbed at T-29 minutes for undisclosed reasons.

Webcasts:

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New IFT5 footage from SpaceX (youtu.be)
submitted 1 week ago by doomi@discuss.tchncs.de to c/spacex@sh.itjust.works
0 comments fedilink
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