What time is the SpaceX launch today? When Falcon 9 is launching and how to watch live in the UK
SpaceX will attempt its latest launch today, sending 46 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit with one of its Falcon 9 rockets.
It comes after it launched the biggest and most powerful space rocket ever developed last week – the Starship – which dramatically exploded minutes after it left the SpaceX Starbase in Texas.
In a series of tweets, SpaceX described the blast as “a rapid unscheduled disassembly” but said the launch was a great success, despite the explosion. The company had said that it had only hoped that it would clear the launchpad, which it did.
According to SpaceX, the Starship will eventually be able to carry up to 100 people on long-duration interplanetary flights, be able to deliver satellites, aid the construction of a moon base, and point-to-point transport on Earth – which would allow travel to anywhere in the world in one hour or less.
Today’s Starlink launch is less ambitious, continuing a project that sends satellites into orbit to serve internet coverage to more remote parts of the globe. Here’s everything you need to know.
When is the SpaceX Starlink launch?
SpaceX is targeting Wednesday 26 April at 6.40am PT (2.40pm BST) for the launch, which is taking place at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. A backup opportunity is available Thursday 27 April at the same time.
There will be a live stream of the launch here on this page, starting from 2.30pm, and it will also be shown on the SpaceX YouTube channel.
The launch was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but was delayed before prop loading was set to take place.
What is the purpose of the launch?
Starlink is SpaceX’s network of satellites that provide low-cost internet to remote locations.
SpaceX eventually hopes to have as many as 42,000 satellites in what it calls a “megaconstellation”. The current number is little over 3,200.
They orbit roughly 342 miles above Earth’s surface and can be seen without binoculars with the help of a stargazing app.
“Starlink is ideally suited for areas where connectivity has been unreliable or completely unavailable,” Starlink says on its website. “People across the globe are using Starlink to gain access to education, health services and even communications support during natural disasters.”
Starlink has helped keep Ukraine connected to the internet since Russia launched its invasion last year. However, the project has also courted controversy, with some astronomers saying the satellites could cause space collisions or affect Earth’s climate.
Wednesday’s launch will see the Falcon 9 rocket return to Earth roughly eight and a half minutes after takeoff, when it will land on the deck of the SpaceX droneship Of Course I Still Love You off the Californian coast.
