Kremer — SpaceUpClose.com &
RocketSTEM – 15 May 2019
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL – SpaceX is now targeting Wednesday
evening May 15 for launch of the first batch of 60 Starlink broadband internet satellites
to LEO on a recycled, twice flown Falcon 9 rocket.
SpaceX
also manufactured the Starlink satellites which seeks to revolutionize the
marketplace by cutting internet connectivity costs and broadening coverage as
well.
Liftoff
of the Starlink 1 mission is targeted for 10:30 p.m. EST Wednesday, May 15 (0230 GMT Thursday) from Space Launch
Complex-40 (SLC-40) on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL.
launch window extends to midnight 12 a.m. and the weather looks promising at
80% favorable.
Enjoy
our photos from UpClose at pad 40 this afternoon. The launch window opens
at 10:30 p.m. EDT on May 15, or 2:30 UTC on May 16, and closes at 12:00 a.m. on
May 16, or 4:00 UTC. A backup launch window opens on Thursday, May 16 at 10:30
p.m. EDT, or 2:30 UTC on May 17, and closes at 12:00 a.m. on May 17, or 4:00
UTC.
Falcon 9’s first stage
for this mission previously supported the Telstar 18 VANTAGE mission in
September 2018 and the Iridium-8 mission in January 2019.
“Starlink is a
next-generation satellite network capable of connecting the globe, especially
reaching those who are not yet connected, with reliable and affordable
broadband internet services,” says SpaceX.
1st 60 SpaceX Starlink satellites loaded inside payload
fairing for launch on Falcon 9 rocket on Starlink-1 mission targeted for launch May 15, 2019 at 10:30 p.m. EDT. Credit: SpaceX |
the Starlink constellation of low earth orbiting broadband satellites will
number in the thousands.
You can watch the launch on a SpaceX dedicated
webcast that starts about 15 minutes prior to the opening of the nominal
launch window:
www.spacex.com/webcast
Currently the weather outlook for Wednesday evening
is rather favorable – currently forecast as 80% GO !!
Watch for Ken’s continuing
onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.
Stay tuned here for Ken’s continuing Earth and
Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer
– email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the
KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about
space topics.
Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events
May 15-16: Quality Inn Kennedy Space Center, Titusville,
FL, evenings. Learn more about the upcoming/recent NASA
2024 Moon landing goal, SpaceX Starlink-1, SpaceX Falcon 9/CRS-17 launch to ISS, Falcon Heavy, SpaceX Demo-1
launch/test failure, SpaceX Beresheet launch, NASA missions, ULA Atlas & Delta launches, Northrop Grumman Antares,
SpySats and more