SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket into the night on Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral
The Starlink 12-23 mission took off at 10:09 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 40 after being moved forward 49 minutes. SpaceX rarely moves launch times forward, and has not revealed a reasoning. The 23 Starlink internet satellites traveled into the night sky on a southeast trajectory.
The well-flown booster was seeing its 20th flight. Previous missions the booster launched include: 12 previous Starlink missions, NASA's Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, and TD7.
Just over eight minutes later, the booster landed on the Just Read the Instructions drone ship which was stationed out on the Atlantic Ocean. No Space Coast sonic booms were heard.
Those waiting for another rocket launch do not have to wait much longer, as both ULA and SpaceX have launches scheduled for the start of the week.
When is the next launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA rocket launch schedule at Cape Canaveral
A doubleheader launch day is coming up. First up, the much delayed Kuiper Atlas 1 mission will launch atop an Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 41. The mission is Amazon's first batch of internet satellites, known as Project Kuiper, and is set to launch during a two-hour window which opens at 7 p.m. on April 28.
SpaceX is scheduled to launch its Starlink 12-10 mission later that night. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, that window runs from 9:37 p.m. to 2:08 a.m. (April 29).
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX rocket launch sends Starlink mission into night from Florida
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