SpaceX’s Starlink Mission featuring two Falcon 9 launches from Florida and California, adding 23 satellites to the Starlink constellation. Discover the preparations for the historic undocking of Crew Dragon Endurance from the ISS, including the return of the Crew-7 mission. Learn about the anticipation of the first launch of the second-generation Cargo Dragon spacecraft. Dive into the details of this aerospace achievement in collaboration with NASA, marking a significant milestone in space exploration.”
Dual Falcon 9 Launches
Over the weekend, SpaceX demonstrated its operational prowess with two Falcon 9 launches from both the East and West coasts of the United States. Additionally, the aerospace company is gearing up for the detachment of the Crew Dragon Endurance from the International Space Station (ISS).
Launching the Starlink 6-43 mission, a Falcon 9 rocket ascended into the sky from the Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at precisely 7:05 p.m. EDT. This launch aimed to augment the Starlink constellation in low Earth orbit with 23 additional satellites.
Forecasts by the 45th Weather Squadron indicated a highly favorable weather condition for the launch, exceeding 95 percent likelihood with no significant risk factors highlighted for attention.
Marking its 11th flight, the first stage booster, identified by the tail number B1077, has a distinguished history of supporting various missions, including Crew-5, the 28th Commercial Resupply Services mission, and the Northrop Grumman Cygnus flight NG-20 to the ISS.
Approximately 8.5 minutes post-liftoff, the booster made a precision landing on the SpaceX droneship named ‘Just Read the Instructions,’ marking the 74th successful landing for JRTI and the 218th for SpaceX overall.
In the midst of these operations, SpaceX, in collaboration with NASA, is planning the inaugural launch of the second-generation Cargo Dragon spacecraft to the ISS from the same launch complex later in the month, introducing the new crew access tower.
Crew Dragon’s Return Journey
While managing launches from Florida’s Cape Canaveral and California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base, SpaceX, alongside NASA, is orchestrating the return of the Crew-7 mission’s quartet from the ISS.
Following a formal goodbye and a ceremonial handover of command on Sunday morning, the crew is set to depart. European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen passed the symbolic key to Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, acknowledging his impressive cumulative space tenure.
The undocking of Crew Dragon Endurance is scheduled for Monday, March 11, at 11:05 a.m. EDT, with the anticipated splashdown occurring early Tuesday, March 12. This marks yet another significant achievement in SpaceX’s expanding portfolio of space exploration activities.