SpaceX Set for Sunday Launch Doubleheader From Florida

UPDATE: The Starlink launch scheduled for the morning was scrubbed due to weather. The SAOCOM 1B mission is still planned for the evening, but the probability of acceptable weather is only 40 percent.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (SpaceX PR) — SpaceX is targeting Sunday, August 30th for two launches – a  Starlink mission in the morning and the SAOCOM 1B mission in the evening.  

You can watch the launch webcasts here, starting about 15 minutes before liftoff.

LAUNCH #1:  STARLINK MISSION

SpaceX is targeting Sunday, August 30 at 10:12 a.m. EDT, 14:12 UTC, for launch of its twelfth Starlink mission, which will launch 60 Starlink satellites to orbit. Falcon 9 will lift off from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  

Falcon 9’s first stage previously supported launch of the GPS III Space Vehicle 03 mission in June 2020. Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Starlink satellites will deploy approximately 14 minutes after liftoff. If you would like to receive updates on Starlink news and service availability in your area, please visit starlink.com.

LAUNCH #2:  SAOCOM 1B MISSION

SpaceX is targeting Sunday, August 30 at 7:18 p.m. EDT, or 23:18 UTC, for Falcon 9’s launch of the SAOCOM 1B mission, which will carry the SAOCOM 1B spacecraft to orbit in addition to two rideshare payloads, Tyvak-0172 and PlanetiQ’s GNOMES-1.

The mission will lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. This mission marks SpaceX’s first launch to a polar orbit from the East Coast, and the first polar launch from Florida in decades.

Falcon 9’s first stage previously launched Dragon to the International Space Station for SpaceX’s 19^th and 20^th commercial resupply missions, and it also supported launch of SpaceX’s ninth Starlink mission.

Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9 on Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. SAOCOM 1B will deploy approximately 14 minutes after launch, GNOMES-1 and Tyvak-0172 will deploy approximately 61 and 62 minutes after liftoff.