The Cape Canaveral Launch Is Stopped By SpaceX Ahead Of The ULA Atlas V Mission

On Friday night, SpaceX added another Starlink launch to its rocketry belt from Cape Canaveral.

At 11:12 p.m., a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 internet satellites on the Starlink 6-14 mission launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This is the first of two launches that could take place within ten hours, with a United Launch Alliance Atlas V mission scheduled for Saturday morning from a nearby launch complex.

With a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic, the first-stage booster completed its seventh flight.

This is SpaceX’s 47th launch from the Space Coast this year, while ULA’s 48th is scheduled for Saturday morning from Canaveral’s SLC 41. ULA last flew in June, so this is only ULA’s second launch of the year.

That flight is a Map book V rocket with five strong rocket sponsors on a mission for the Public Surveillance Office and Space Power called SILENTBARKER/NROL-107 set for takeoff at 8:51 a.m.

The other Space Coast non-SpaceX send off came in Spring from Relativity Space with its 3D-printed Terran 1 rocket.

SpaceX, on the other hand, has been moving forward at a rate that could see it launch more than 90 missions annually from all of its facilities.

SpaceX has already broken its previous record of 61 orbital flights set in 2022 with this launch, which includes launches from California. That does exclude the April 20 endeavor of its Starship and Really Weighty from its Texas test send off office Starbase.

Although Elon Musk’s company has a second stacked Starship on the launch pad there awaiting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for another attempt, that flight ended in explosion before orbit.

Friday, the FAA announced that it had concluded its investigation into the incident; however, SpaceX must now complete the 63 corrective actions deemed necessary to ensure the safety of Starship flights.

Starship is the inevitable arranged swap for its workhorse Hawk 9 and Bird of prey Weighty rockets.