At 16:55 Beijing time on July 3, 2024 (04:55 EDT on July 3, 2024), at the SLC-40 station of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida, Space X. used the Falcon 9 launch vehicle to carry 8 groups of 9 batches (G8-9) of 20 small second-generation "Starlink" satellites, and the satellites were sent into initial low-earth orbit.
The StarlinkG8-9 mission is the 48th batch launch of the "Starlink" low-orbit communication satellite constellation in 2024, and the 178th batch launch in total and the 91st batch launch of the second-generation "Starlink" satellite. So far, the total number of "Starlink" satellites has reached 6,723, of which 1,073 will be launched in 2024 (all of which are small second-generation Starlink/Starlink v2.0 mini). The mission includes 13 "Starlink" mobile phone direct connection satellites.
The Falcon 9 rocket used the 16th flight of the first stage B1073.16, using the under-course recovery (ASDS), 8 minutes and 13 seconds after the ignition launch, the first stage landed on the straight deck of the ASOG automatic recovery ship located in the Atlantic Ocean, which is the 327th recovery landing of the first stage module of the "Falcon 9" and "Falcon Heavy" rocket core modules (including return recovery). On the morning of May 13, Beijing time, the first-class B1073.15 successfully implemented the Starlink G6-58 mission, 51 days after the launch mission.
This launch is the 67th space launch of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle into orbit in 2024, the 36th launch of Cape Canaveral Space Force Base, the 79th launch of the United States and the 126th launch of the world.
Author: Mulan Xingzhou