SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 rockets to orbit Saturday: first, at 5:52 PM EDT Eutelsat 36D from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center, then at 9:30 PM, Starlink 6-45 from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — a three-hour, thirty-minute gap between launches. Not one to rest on their laurels, the company also has slated another Starlink launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California between 11:54 PM and 2:30 AM EDT later on this evening.

EUTEL 36D Mission

The Eutelsat mission opened today’s launches at 5:52 PM EDT on a day that Florida tourist boards dream of: a warm sunny day with light winds that brought crowds to the beaches and riverfront not only to enjoy seeing a launch but also simply enjoy the nearly perfect weather.

Tourists and locals lined not only the usual spectator spots on US-1 in Titusville, but also with an at-capacity Playalinda Beach on Cape Canaveral National Seashore, where lines to enter were long and parking lots were eventually full. Those that made into Playalinda enjoyed a picture-perfect launch at the start of the launch window, with Falcon 9 climbing into a blue sky.

The payload was a telecommunications satellite, EUTELSAT 36D, which will replace the company’s EUTELSAT 36B at 36° East. According to Eutelsat, “36° East is a key orbital slot for broadcasters. Home to two powerful satellites, EUTELSAT 36B and EUTELSAT 36C, together they support the broadcast business of several major anchor customers.” Eutelsat 36D will eventually replace the 36B satellite, and will “[A]ssure all the main legacy missions of EUTELSAT 36B, with enhancements to coverage areas and performance.”

EUTELSAT 36D Booster

SpaceX used Booster B1076 for the mission, which successfully completed its twelfth flight after safely touching down aboard the Automated Spaceport Drone Ship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Previously, B1076 had supported the NASA CRS-26 ISS resupply mission, OneWeb Launch 16, Intelsat IS-40e, O3b mPOWER, Ovzon 3, and six Starlink missions.

Starlink 6-45 Mission

Later Saturday evening, SpaceX sent another batch of 23 Starlink v2 Mini satellites to orbit, adding to the company’s ever-growing Starlink constellation used to provide global Internet connectivity. The launch was at 9:30 PM EDT, and was visible over much of Florida, with people as far as Crystal River, which is located about 90 minutes north of Tampa near the Gulf of Mexico.

Starlink 6-45 Booster

For that mission, SpaceX used Booster B1067 for the18th time. Previously launched CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, mPOWER-a, PSN SATRIA, Telkomsat Merah Putih 2 and now has completed nine Starlink missions. It safely touched down on ASDS ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ about eight and one-half minutes after launching.

Next Launch

SpaceX will launch another tranche of Starlink satellites on Friday, April 5th from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on the Starlink 6-47 mission.

The launch window for this mission has not been announced by the company, but if it follows the bulk of other Group 6 Starlink missions, launch time will be sometime in the evening. Stay tuned to Talk of Titusville for a mission preview later this week as more information becomes available.