At 08:53 Beijing time on May 13, 2024 (20:53 EDT on the 12th), the Falcon 9 carrier rocket carried 6 groups of 58 batches (G6-58) of 23 small second-generation "Starlink" satellites from the SLC-40 station of Cape Canaveral Space Force Base to launch the satellites into the scheduled low-earth orbit.
This mission is the 34th batch launch of the "Starlink" low-orbit communication satellite constellation in 2024, and it is also the 164th batch launch of the constellation and the 77th batch launch of the second-generation "Starlink" satellite. So far, the total number of "Starlink" satellites launched has reached 6,418, of which 768 will be launched in 2024.
The "Falcon 9" rocket used the 15th flight of the first stage B1073.15, using the down-the-line recovery (ASDS), T+00:08:17 first stage vertical landing on the ASoG automatic recovery ship, which is the 308th recovery landing of the core first stage module of the active "Falcon" series rocket (including "Falcon 9" and "Falcon Heavy"). On the morning of April 8, Beijing time, the first-class B1073.14 carried out the Bandwagon 1 launch mission, 35 days after the mission.
This launch is the 49th launch of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle in 2024, the 25th launch of Cape Canaveral Space Force Base, the 56th launch of the United States, and the 91st launch of the world.
Author: Mulan Xingzhou