In a groundbreaking move, SpaceX is set to launch its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Wednesday afternoon, although it's grappling with challenging weather conditions. This launch is part of the Starlink 6-98 mission, which will incorporate an additional 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into the ever-expanding low Earth orbit constellation, marking the fourth Starlink mission for the year 2026.
The liftoff is planned for 1:08 p.m. EST (or 1808 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40, with the Falcon 9 rocket expected to follow a south-easterly path as it ascends into the sky. For those eager to witness this event, Spaceflight Now will provide live coverage starting approximately one hour before the scheduled launch time.
This particular mission will utilize the Falcon 9 first stage booster designated with the tail number 1085. Remarkably, this flight will be the 13th for this booster, which has previously supported significant missions such as Crew-9, Blue Ghost Mission 1, and Fram 2.
Approximately 8.5 minutes after launch, the B1085 booster aims to land on SpaceX's drone ship named ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’ If all goes as planned, this will mark a notable milestone: the 139th successful landing on this vessel and the impressive 559th booster landing for SpaceX overall.
As we look forward to the specifics of this mission, it’s worth considering the implications of these frequent satellite deployments. How do you feel about the increasing presence of satellites in our skies? Share your thoughts below!
