Joining the video podcast on Friday, April 19, in this episode were Marina Koren, staff writer for The Atlantic, and Jack Kuhr, research editor for Payload Space.
With this launch, SpaceX is now one flight shy of tying the total number of Space Shuttle missions from this historic launch pad. This was the 81st flight of a Falcon rocket compared to the 82 total shuttle flights. Liftoff of the Starlink 6-51 mission happened at 5:26 p.m. EDT (2126 UTC).
SpaceX shattered multiple records Friday night as it launches 23 satellites for the company’s Starlink internet service from Cape Canaveral. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 9:40 p.m. EDT (0140 UTC).
The mission came less than a day after SpaceX announced Albania as the latest country to gain access to the service. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station happened at 1:40 a.m. EDT (0540 UTC).
Joining the live video podcast on Friday, April 5, are Emilee Speck, space journalist with FOX Weather, and Stephen Clark, space reporter with Ars Technica. The show begins at 4 p.m. EDT (2000 UTC) on the Spaceflight Now YouTube channel.
The 16th and last launch of the Delta 4 Heavy configuration also marks the end of Delta line of launch vehicles. NROL-70 with be the 389th Delta launch since 1960 and 45th Delta 4 rocket.
Assuming a May 1 launch, the Starliner spacecraft would dock with the ISS on May 2. The spacecraft will launch on the 100th flight of United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket.