Overview
- SpaceX is preparing to launch a Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral carrying 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites to expand its low Earth orbit internet constellation.
- The mission will use first stage B1078 on its 28th flight and aims to recover the booster on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas, a landing that would add to the vessel’s cumulative tally.
- Flight profile calls for first-stage separation and a drone‑ship landing attempt about 8.5 minutes after liftoff, second-stage cutoff at T+8:39, a short second burn near T+52 minutes, and satellite deployment around T+61:26.
- The U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron forecasted an 85 percent chance of favorable weather for the launch window and flagged the Cumulus Cloud Rule as the primary concern for a scrub.
- The launch is counted as part of SpaceX’s high yearly tempo — reported as the company’s 60th orbital flight of the year — and continues growth of a constellation that the coverage says now exceeds 10,000 satellites, a trend that increases routine traffic in low Earth orbit.