SpaceX set a launch turnaround record with back-to-back, coast-to-coast Falcon 9 launches
File: A Falcon 9 rocket stands ready to launch a Starlink mission. Image: SpaceX
Update 5:06 a.m. EDT: SpaceX launched the mission and landed B1081 on the droneship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You.’
Following its second return to flight mission in as many months with a Falcon 9 rocket, SpaceX proceeded to set a new turnaround record. These two launches of 21 Starlink satellites come just days after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily grounded the Falcon fleet amid an investigation into a failed booster landing attempt on Wednesday.
Liftoff of the Starlink 9-5 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) happened at 1:48 a.m. PDT (4:48 a.m. EDT, 0848 UTC). This was the second of two back-to-back overnight launches.
The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1081 in the SpaceX fleet, launched for a ninth time. It previously supported the launches of the Crew-7 astronaut mission to the International Space Station, two climate-related spacecraft (PACE and EarthCARE) and a national security mission for the National Reconnaissance Office.
A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, B1081 landed on the SpaceX droneship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You.’ This was the 99th landing on OCISLY and the 342nd successful booster landing.
Among the 21 Starlink satellites onboard are 13 that feature Direct to Cell capabilities. This will mark the 60th dedicated Starlink launch in 2024 and the 123rd launch of the V2 Mini variety of Starlink satellite.
The turnaround time between this mission and the previous flight, Starlink 8-10, was a record for SpaceX at one hour and five minutes.
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