Feb. 10 (UPI) — SpaceX is scheduled to launch a new round of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit on Monday afternoon from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The launch is currently scheduled for 6:47 p.m. EST with a backup launch opportunity for 6:19 p.m. on Tuesday. The payload on the Falcon 9 rocket will be 23 Starlink satellites that will be launched into lower Earth orbit.
SpaceX said it will be the 23rd launch for the first-stage rocket booster, which has been a part of 13 other Starlink space trips.
The first stage is expected to return to Earth and land safely on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, situated on the Pacific Ocean.
“There is a possibility that residents of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions,” SpaceX said in a statement.
Starlink is the world’s first satellite constellation, using low Earth orbit satellites to allow broadband Internet capabilities in the most remote places around the world. The connections are strong enough to support streaming, video calls, online games, etc.
The satellites operate at an altitude of nearly 342 miles above Earth.
