Key Takeaways:
- SpaceX is scheduled to launch a batch of Starlink satellites (Starlink 10-51 mission) on Saturday morning from Kennedy Space Center.
- The launch will utilize the Falcon 9 booster B1069, making its 28th flight, with a planned landing on the drone ship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’.
- The mission will deploy 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites.
- The launch comes just before new FAA restrictions take effect, limiting commercial space launches and reentries to between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time.
- The FAA’s new restrictions are impacting the times of all future launches from US soil.
SpaceX’s Upcoming Starlink Launch and New FAA Restrictions
SpaceX is preparing to launch a batch of Starlink satellites on Saturday morning, aiming for a 7:10 a.m. EST (1210 UTC) liftoff from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The mission, named Starlink 10-51, will see a Falcon 9 rocket embark on a north-easterly trajectory as it departs Florida’s Space Coast.
The mission will be powered by the Falcon 9 booster B1069, marking its 28th flight. This particular booster has a distinguished history, having supported missions such as CRS-24, OneWeb Launch #15, and Eutelsat Hotbird 13F. A crucial part of the mission involves the booster’s autonomous landing on the drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas," stationed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina, approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff. A successful landing would mark the 131st booster landing for this vessel and the 531st booster landing to date.
The primary objective of the Starlink 10-51 mission is to deploy 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites. These satellites will be released from the rocket’s upper stage a little over an hour after the initial launch.
FAA Imposes Launch Curfew
This launch occurs in the immediate shadow of an emergency directive issued by the FAA on Thursday, establishing a curfew for commercial space launches and reentries. The new rules limit FAA-sanctioned activities to the hours between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. local time, beginning at 6 a.m. EST on November 10.
Compounding the issue is the ongoing government shutdown, which has led to a reduction in flights at 40 high-traffic airports across the United States. Orlando International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, located near Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg, respectively, are among those affected.
The impact of the FAA’s launch curfew will depend on how "commercial launch" is defined. SpaceX, for example, has five additional Starlink missions scheduled between November 10 and November 19, as well as the Transporter-15 mission planned for November 11. United Launch Alliance also has a ViaSat-3 F2 mission to launch following a scrub Thursday night.
Potential Impact and Industry Response
While SpaceX can adjust the timing of its Starlink missions to comply with the FAA mandate, missions like Transporter-15, which aim to place payloads into a Sun-synchronous orbit, may require special exemptions. The FAA has not yet issued a response to the issue.
Rocket Lab has stated that it anticipates minimal impact from the FAA’s decision. The company confirmed that launches from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand will not be affected because they do not operate in U.S. airspace. The company also believes that launches from LC-2 in Virginia will not be significantly impacted.