SpaceX is set to launch its ninth Starlink mission of August on Sunday morning, deploying another batch of its broadband internet satellites. The Starlink 10-14 mission is scheduled for a sunrise liftoff at 7:49 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, following a previous delay.
The mission will be the 108th for SpaceX this year and will fly on a northeastern trajectory from Florida’s Space Coast. It will be carried by the Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1077, which is making its 23rd flight. The booster’s previous missions include NASA’s Crew-5 and the GPS III Space Vehicle 06 launch.
Approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the first stage will attempt a landing on the droneship ‘Just Read the Instructions’ in the Atlantic Ocean. A successful recovery would be the 134th for this droneship and the 497th overall booster landing for SpaceX.
According to the 45th Weather Squadron, the forecast for the launch window is variable. Conditions are 90% favorable at the opening of the window but decline to 65% over time due to the potential for cumulus and anvil clouds from offshore showers.
This flight will add 28 Starlink V2 Mini satellites to the company’s growing low-Earth orbit constellation. SpaceX aims to launch at least 170 Falcon rockets in 2025, with the majority supporting the Starlink network.
The rapid launch cadence supports a swiftly expanding subscriber base. In August, SpaceX announced it had reached 7 million Starlink customers across more than 150 countries and territories, up from 4 million in September 2024. This growth is sustained by a high-volume manufacturing operation in Redmond, Washington, which produces dozens of satellites weekly.
“Generally satellite manufacturing is a very slow process,” said Cornelia Rosu, Senior Director of Starlink Production, in a recent company video. “At SpaceX, we iterate very fast and we have learned how to build satellites at a 70 sats per week rate.”
Source link