SpaceX is ready to launch 51 Starlink internet communication satellites into low Earth orbit on its Starlink Group 2-9 mission. Lifting off on May 10, 2023, at 13:09 PDT (20:09 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, this mission will mark 2023’s 68th orbital launch attempt and SpaceX’s 31st (30th orbital) launch of the year, making up just under 45% of all launch attempts thus far this year. To help reach SpaceX’s ambitious goal of launching 100 times in 2023, this launch will mark SLC-4E’s third-quickest turnaround time at 12.3 days. While this is substantially longer than Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40)’s fastest turnaround (just 5.15 days) and Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A)’s (at 8.96 days), it is clear that cadence is being increased from the west coast to support SpaceX’s busy launch cadence. The reason why SLC-4E is slower to turn around launches than SpaceX’s other two operational pads is due to its use of SpaceX’s old transporter erector (T/E) design. At T-4 minutes, the T/E falls 13 degrees away from the rocket and does not move further from this position — remaining stationary during liftoff. This is drastically different from…
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Starlink Group 2-9 mission to mark SpaceX’s 31st launch of 2023