On a somewhat unexpectedly cool, brisk evening on the Space Coast with passing showers in Titusville and other locations nearby Kennedy Space Center, SpaceX launched two navigation satellites for the European Space Agency. Liftoff was at 08:34 PM EDT from Pad LC-39A at KSC. Liftoff and ascent to orbit was successful.
Notable: Booster B1060 Finishes Its Career On A High Note
Tonight marked the twentieth and final mission for SpaceX’s B1060 first stage booster, as performance requirements to loft the payload required a rare expendable mission for a Falcon 9 rocket. After main-engine cutoff and stage separation, B1060 fell into the Atlantic Ocean and will presumably sink to its final rest place underwater.
Photo: Charles Boyer / ToT
B1060 joins B1062 as the only two Falcon 9 first stages to have completed 20 missions. Unlike B1060, B1062 was recovered after its 20th flight and is now at Hangar X at Kennedy Space Center, where SpaceX is refurbishing it for a potential 21st flight. Whether B1062 will power another mission off the launch pad has not been announced.
| Booster B-1060 | Status: Expended | |
| Flight Number | Payload | Date |
| 1 | GPS III SV03 | June 30, 2020 |
| 2 | Starlink L11 | September 3, 2020 |
| 3 | Starlink L14 | October 24, 2020 |
| 4 | Türksat 5A | January 8, 2021 |
| 5 | Starlink L18 | February 4. 2021 |
| 6 | Starlink L22 | March 24, 2021 |
| 7 | Starlink L24 | April 29, 2021 |
| 8 | Transporter-2 | June 20, 2021 |
| 9 | Starlink 4-3 | December 2, 2021 |
| 10 | Starlink 4-6 | January 19, 2022 |
| 11 | Starlink 4-9 | March 3, 2022 |
| 12 | Starlink 4-14 | April 21. 2022 |
| 13 | Starlink 4-19 | June 17, 2022 |
| 14 | Galaxy 34 / 35 | October 8, 2022 |
| 15 | Transporter-6 | January 3. 2023 |
| 16 | Starlink 5-15 | July 16, 2023 |
| 17 | Starlink 6-18 | September 24, 2024 |
| 18 | IM-1 Odysseus Lander | February 15, 2024 |
| 19 | Starlink 6-42 | March 23, 2024 |
| 20 | Galileo L-12 | April 27, 2024 |
Next Launch
SpaceX gets right back to action tomorrow when it plans to launch 23 more Starlink satellites from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
- Date: NET April 28, 2024
- Organization: SpaceX
- Mission: Starlink 6-54
- Rocket: Falcon 9
- Launch Site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
- Launch Time: 05:50 PM – 09:50 PM EDT
- Payload: twenty-three communications satellites
Keep in mind that launch dates and times change often. Launch attempts can be scrubbed anytime due to weather, technical reasons, or range conditions. If you plan to view the launch in person, stay tuned to pre-launch coverage for the latest information.
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