SpaceX will launch one of its Falcon 9 boosters for a record 20th time on Friday, highlighting once again the success of the company’s reusable rocket system.
Booster 1062, which took its first flight in November 2020, will lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday, April 12, on a mission to deploy 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit.
Recommended Videos A live webcast of the record-breaking flight will begin on X (formerly Twitter) at 9:17 p.m.
Those tuning in will witness the Falcon 9 rocket climb into the sky for a record 20th time, along with stage separation and the deployment of SpaceX’s internet satellites.
A backup opportunity for Friday’s mission is available on Saturday should the targeted flight schedule require adjustment for any reason.
The rocket has previously launched GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, the crewed Inspiration4 and Ax-1 flights, Nilesat 301, OneWeb Launch 17, ARABSAT BADR-8, and 12 Starlink missions.
Three other first-stage boosters have also flown 19 times, and so Booster 1062’s record could be short-lived if engineers select any of those others for multiple flights in the coming months.
SpaceX’s reuse of the first-stage booster, Crew Dragon and Dragon spacecraft, and rocket fairing has allowed it to cut the cost of spaceflight and increase flight frequency, thereby increasing space access for more companies and organizations.
SpaceX will demonstrate the effectiveness of its reusable rocket system once more on Friday when it launches a Falcon 9 booster for a record-tying 20th time.
Launching from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Friday, April 12, Booster 1062—which made its maiden flight in November 2020—will carry 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.
At 9:17 p.m., X (formerly Twitter) will host a live webcast of the historic flight. me. ET, roughly five minutes prior to takeoff.
In addition to stage separation and the launch of SpaceX’s internet satellites, viewers will see the Falcon 9 rocket take off for a record-breaking 20 times. A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship in the Atlantic Ocean will also be shown on the webcast as the first-stage booster makes an upright landing approximately eight minutes after launch, paving the way for the rocket’s 21st and final flight.
Should there be a need to modify the intended flight schedule for any reason, there is a backup opportunity for Friday’s mission on Saturday.
The record for the quickest turnaround, occurring just 21 days after a flight on April 8, 2022, is likewise held by Booster 1062, which last took flight on March 16. The rocket has launched 12 Starlink missions, OneWeb Launch 17, ARABSAT BADR-8, GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, crewed Inspiration 4 and Ax-1 flights, Nilesat 301, and OneWeb Launch 17.
If engineers choose to fly any of the other three first-stage boosters more than once in the upcoming months, Booster 1062’s record may not last long.
Because SpaceX has been able to reduce the cost of spaceflight and increase flight frequency, more businesses and organizations will be able to access space thanks to its reuse of the first-stage booster, Crew Dragon and Dragon spacecraft, and rocket fairing.
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