SpaceX will launch its 100th orbital mission of the year when it performs an overnight flight from Vandenberg Space Force Base shortly after midnight.
The Starlink 15-20 mission will add another 29 broadband internet satellites to the company’s megaconstellation in low Earth orbit. SpaceX founder Elon Musk confirmed on Friday that it now has more than 11,000 Starlink satellites in orbit.
Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East is scheduled for 12:25 a.m. PDT (3:25 a.m. EDT / 0725 UTC). The rocket will fly on a south-easterly trajectory upon leaving the pad.
Spaceflight Now will have live coverage beginning about 30 minutes prior to liftoff.
SpaceX will launch this mission using the Falcon 9 first stage booster with the tail number B1100. This will be its ninth flight after previously launching the NROL-105 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office as well as seven batches of Starlink satellites.
Nearly 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1100 will target a landing on the droneship, Of Course I Still Love You, positioned in the Pacific Ocean. If successful, it will be the 220th landing on this vessel and the 653rd Falcon booster landing to date.
