The latest news shows that SpaceX, a US space exploration technology company, plans to launch two consecutive Starlink satellites in the next week.
SpaceX launched the 13th batch of Starlink satellites on October 6. Several media have recently confirmed that SpaceX will attempt to launch the 14th batch of Starlink satellites on the morning of October 18, Eastern Time, and intends to launch on October 21, Eastern Time. Launched the 15th batch of satellites on the afternoon of the day. This means that SpaceX will conduct three Starlink mission launches within one month for the first time, which may break the record for the shortest turnaround time between the two launches of the Falcon 9 rocket booster.
At the same time, the United Launch Alliance (ULA) used the Delta IV heavy rocket to launch the National Reconnaissance Office NROL-44 spy satellite, which is scheduled to take place at 10 PM Eastern Time on October 23. And all the time, because ULA’s NROL-44 mission is at launch priority, this means that all other missions must make way for it, including SpaceX’s launch plan.
Previously, due to technical failures and changing weather, the launch of ULA has been delayed several times, which also caused several delays in the launch of SpaceX Starlink satellites and GPS III SV04 in September and early October. Now, unless SpaceX manages to launch Starlink satellites as scheduled on October 18 and 21, as the Delta IV heavy rocket tries to take off again, it may cause SpaceX’s plan to change again.
If SpaceX manages to successfully launch two batches of Starlink satellites in one week, it will mark the first time that the company has launched three Starlink satellites in one month.
It is reported that SpaceX has allocated the Falcon 9 rocket booster B1060 for the 15th batch of Starlink launches. If the mission goes on as scheduled on October 21, B1060 will defeat B1058 and become the booster with the shortest turnaround time between two launches, launching twice in just 48 days. B1058 broke the 54-day turnaround record of the NASA space shuttle in 51 days earlier this year.
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