The mission came as SpaceX is preparing to launch a Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station later this week. Liftoff of the Starlink 7-16 mission happened at 7:28 p.m. PT (10:28 p.m. ET, 0228 UTC).
The Federal Aviation Administration released the launch license modification allowing the mission to move forward on Wednesday afternoon. Starship launched at 8:25 a.m. CT (9:25 a.m. ET, 1325 UTC).
The crew spent 197 days docked at the ISS and welcomed seven visiting vehicles while on orbit. Splashdown off the coast of Florida is anticipated around 5:50 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 12.
This mission was the second of two Falcon 9 flights on Sunday night. Liftoff from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base occurred at 9:09 p.m. PDT (12:09 a.m. EDT, 0409 UTC).
The Sunday evening launch was the first of two in a period of just over five hours. Liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station took place at 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 UTC).
Join us for a roundup of the week’s space news with reporters covering the big stories. Spaceflight Now’s Will Robinson-Smith is joined by Irene Klotz, Senior Space Editor for Aviation Week, and Richard Tribou, Space Reporter and Senior Content Editor for The Orlando Sentinel.
SpaceX published a livestream for the mission, suggesting it could launch its more than 400-foot-tall rocket by mid-March. There are still a number of outstanding items before that could happen, including the Federal Aviation Administration issuing a launch license.
The launch came on the heels of the Crew-8 mission sending three astronauts and a cosmonaut on their way to the International Space Station. Liftoff took place on Monday, March 4, at 6:56 p.m. EST (2356 UTC).
The mission carried 53 payloads from dozens of companies, universities and government agencies. Liftoff of the Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base took place on Monday, March 4, at 2:05 p.m. PST (5:05 p.m. EST, 2205 UTC).