Live coverage: SpaceX to fly Starlink mission using Falcon 9 booster flying for a 30th time

File: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands ready to launch the Starlink 7-14 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Image: SpaceX

SpaceX is preparing for the launch of its Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday morning from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It’s set to be the second out of two planned flights that day, following a launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida scheduled for just hours before.

The Starlink 15-13 mission will add another 27 broadband internet satellites to low Earth orbit. This will be SpaceX’s 49th Starlink mission flying from Space Launch Complex 4 East.

Liftoff is scheduled for 7:22 a.m. PST (10:22 a.m. EST / 1522 UTC). The rocket will fly on a south-easterly trajectory upon leaving the pad.

Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about 30 minutes prior to liftoff.



SpaceX will launch the mission using the Falcon 9 first stage booster with the tail number, 1063. This will be its 30th launch, making it SpaceX’s third booster to reach the 30-flight milestone.

Some of its previous flights include the launches of NASA’s DART, three National Reconnaissance Office missions and Transporter-7.

Nearly 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1063 will target an autonomous landing on the drone ship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You,’ positioned in the Pacific Ocean. If successful, this will be the 171st landing on this vessel and the 553rd booster landing for SpaceX to date.