Gary Zhou 
Key Points
- 🚀 SpaceX is set to launch 48 version 1.5 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
- 📅 The launch is scheduled for Friday, July 7th at 12:29 p.m. PT (19:29 UTC).
- 🛰️ This will be the 43rd Falcon 9 launch of the year and the 45th mission overall in 2023.
- 🌍 SpaceX has launched a total of 4,746 Starlink satellites, with 177 launched last month, solidifying its position as the world leader in mass to orbit.
- 🚀 The launch will use Booster 1063 on its 12th flight, with the first stage aiming to land on the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean.
- 📡 Following separation, the 48 satellites will make their way to their operational orbit.
- 🎥 The launch can be watched live.
SpaceX will launch 48 version 1.5 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Friday, July 7th at 12:29 p.m. PT (19:29 UTC).
The 48 Starlink satellites will launch on a 43-degree orbital inclination and are a part of Group 5-13. This will be the 43rd Falcom 9 launch so far this year and the 45th mission overall of 2023.
With this launch, SpaceX will bring its total number of Starlink sattelites launched to 4,746, 177 of which were launched last month. This pace has made SpaceX the world leader in mass to orbit and a company that proves time and again the advantages of reusability. This will be the 99th orbital launch worldwide, with SpaceX being responsible for nearly half with 45 launches.
Launching this batch of Starlink satellites will be Booster 1063 on its 12th flight, seven of which were Starlink missions. B1063 will launch to the South, parallelling the coast of California. The first stage and second stage will separate two and a half minutes into the flight, then the second stage will perform a dog-leg maneuver to send itself over the Baja Peninsula of Mexico and the proper 43-degree orbital inclination.
While 2nd stage is heading to low Earth orbit, the first stage will aim for the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” which is stationed in the Pacific Ocean ~668 km downrange. The first stage will land at approximately the same time as the second stage cut-off just under nine minutes into the mission, then following a 10-minute coast phase, the 48 satellites will then separate from the second stage and make their way to their operational orbit.
Watch the launch of 48 Starlink satellites below!
