PHOENIX — SpaceX has announced a new launch date for a Falcon 9 rocket, which will carry 22 Starlink satellites to space, according to a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Liftoff has now been scheduled for Monday, April 1. According to the organization's website, the launch window will open at 7:30 p.m. PDT. If they need to delay the launch on Monday, they will have additional times available for launch until 11:30 p.m. If the launch is scrubbed on Monday, they will try again on Tuesday starting at 7:30 p.m.
The launch was originally scheduled for Thursday but has been delayed multiple times. SpaceX tried to launch the rocket on Saturday and even moved it to the launch pad, but after delaying the launch five times, they ultimately decided to scrub it.
Once the rocket takes off, the launch is expected to be visible in the western Arizona sky.
The planned Falcon 9 launch mission would send satellites for the Starlink internet service to low-Earth orbit from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: El lanzamiento del cohete SpaceX será visible en Arizona
This launch will mark the 15th flight of the initial stage booster backing this mission.
After the separation of stages, the initial stage is set to make a landing on the 'Of Course I Still Love You' droneship, stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
A live webcast of this mission will be shown on X @SpaceX about five minutes prior to liftoff. Watch live.
What is Starlink?
Starlink is "the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more," according to the service's website.
The "constellation" of satellites consists of thousands of satellites that orbit Earth at an altitude of about 550 km, or 341 3/4 miles.
The satellites connect to antennas that users set up at their homes to provide internet access.
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