Editor’s note: SpaceX had to abort its first launch attempt on Sunday (Oct. 29) due to a stage separation system issue with the Falcon 9 rocket. The company is rescheduling the launch for Monday (Oct. 30).
A second attempt is scheduled for the launch of 23 Starlink internet satellites onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Monday (Oct. 30), following the previous abort.
The Falcon 9 rocket is set to take off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Monday (Oct. 30) at 7:20 p.m. EDT (2320 GMT). In case of any delays, there are seven backup opportunities available from 7:52 p.m. EDT to 10:22 p.m. EDT (2352 to 0222 GMT on Oct. 30), as stated in the SpaceX mission description.
To witness the live event, tune in to SpaceX’s account on X (formerly known as Twitter). The coverage will begin approximately five minutes before liftoff.
Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see and track it in the night sky
If everything goes smoothly, the Falcon 9’s first stage will return to Earth and perform a vertical landing around 8.5 minutes after launch on the drone ship named A Shortfall of Gravitas, stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
According to the mission description, this rocket’s first stage has successfully launched and landed eight times before.
The 23 Starlink satellites will be released into low Earth orbit by the Falcon 9’s upper stage approximately 65.5 minutes after liftoff, if all goes as planned.
Starlink constitutes SpaceX’s broadband megaconstellation, providing internet service to customers across the globe. So far, SpaceX has launched over 5,000 Starlink satellites to LEO (Low Earth Orbit), and there are many more launches to come. The company has the authority to deploy 12,000 of these spacecraft and has also applied for approval to launch an additional 30,000 satellites.
