Another 49 Starlinks ready to launch
January 31, 2023
By Chris Forrester
SpaceX is scheduled to launch 49 of its Starlink broadband satellites today (January 31st) from Vandenburg Space Force Base, California. Launch is scheduled for 16.15 GMT. The launch was postponed from January 30th.
SpaceX, via Twitter, confirmed that the weather in California was “looking good” for launch. It will be the seventh launch and landing for this particular Falcon 9 booster, according to SpaceX. The lift-off will also be the seventh of the year already for SpaceX, and the third Starlink mission of 2023.
SpaceX has now launched almost 3,800 of its broadband satellites. However, not all are yet operational. According to Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist, 3,139 are wholly operational with another 175 in orbit-raising mode (plus those scheduled for launch today).
Starlink is rapidly building up its constellation of 4,400 satellites to be in place by 2024, and has FCC permission to launch another 7,500 by 2027.