Double SpaceX launches ready to go
February 17, 2023
By Chris Forrester
February 17th should see a launch of 51 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Launch time, subject to the usual weather risks, is set for 11.12am California time. There is a back-up opportunity in case of delay on February 18th at 10.58am (18.58pm UTC). The Falcon 9 rocket’s booster has flown eight times, including on six Starlink missions.
Later in the day, SpaceX is scheduled to launch Inmarsat’s I-6 F2 satellite aboard a Falcon 9 from the Cape Canaveral AFS. The launch window opens at 10:59 pm.
Intelsat’s I-6 F2 follows its ‘twin’, I-6 F1, which launched from Japan in late 2021. They will deliver a major upgrade in the capacity and capabilities of Inmarsat’s two global communications networks and have a lifespan of 15 years. I-6 F1 is scheduled to connect its first customers later this year, with I-6 F2 set to follow in 2024.