Get ready, because SpaceX is on the verge of launching its Falcon 9 rocket, marking a significant return to flight after a brief hiatus of less than a week! But here's where it gets controversial: this mission, known as Starlink 17-33, aims to deploy an impressive 25 new satellites into the company’s rapidly expanding network in low Earth orbit. Currently, there are over 9,600 satellites circling our planet, a figure tracked meticulously by astronomer and orbital expert Jonathan McDowell.
The launch is slated for Saturday, February 7 at precisely 12:41:41 p.m. PST (which translates to 3:41:41 p.m. EST or 2041:41 UTC), taking off from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB). The rocket will follow a south-southwest trajectory, a detail that might seem minor but plays a crucial role in the mission's success.
For those eager to catch the action live, Spaceflight Now will provide coverage starting approximately 30 minutes before launch.
This Falcon 9 mission will utilize the first stage booster designated as B1088, which will be undertaking its thirteenth flight. This booster has previously supported several notable missions, including NASA’s SPHEREx, Transporter-12, and two batches of satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office's satellite constellation.
Approximately 8.5 minutes post-liftoff, the B1088 booster is expected to land on the drone ship named ‘Of Course I Still Love You,’ stationed in the Pacific Ocean. If all goes according to plan, this will mark the 176th successful landing on this specific vessel and the 568th overall booster recovery for SpaceX—a remarkable feat in spaceflight history.
Now, let’s take a step back and acknowledge that SpaceX is returning to its usual launch rhythm after experiencing an unusually quiet period and some postponed missions recently. Following the launch of Starlink 17-32 from VSFB on Monday, February 2, the company initially planned to conduct the Starlink 6-103 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Tuesday, February 3. However, a twist occurred when SpaceX revealed an in-flight anomaly shortly after payload deployment.
In a statement released on February 2, SpaceX explained, “During today’s launch, the second stage experienced an off-nominal condition during preparation for the deorbit burn.” Fortunately, the vehicle managed to perform as intended, successfully passivating the stage despite the issues encountered. Thankfully, both MVac burns were executed without complications, leading to the safe deployment of all 25 Starlink satellites into their designated orbits.
While NASA was busy conducting a fueling test on its Space Launch System rocket, SpaceX promptly rolled back the Starlink satellites intended for the Starlink 6-103 mission to its Hangar X facilities at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Shortly thereafter, they prepared another booster, tail number 1101, for the upcoming Crew-12 mission scheduled for next week.
On Friday evening, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) made a significant announcement regarding the closure of the investigation into the mishap led by SpaceX, which now allows the company to resume flights under FAA regulations.
“The FAA oversaw and accepted the findings of the SpaceX-led investigation,” the agency stated. “The final mishap report indicates that the probable root cause was the failure of the Falcon 9 stage 2 engine to ignite prior to the deorbit burn.” SpaceX has since identified both technical and organizational measures aimed at preventing such an occurrence in the future, leading to the green light for the Falcon 9 to return to flight status.
After the Crew-12 team arrived at KSC on Friday night, NASA issued a statement discussing its evaluation of the mishap and its implications for the crewed flight to the International Space Station.
“As part of the agency’s Flight Readiness Review, NASA assessed the findings from SpaceX’s review regarding the event involving a Falcon 9 second stage during preparations for its deorbit burn,” they noted. “Both NASA and SpaceX have concluded that, since the Falcon 9 second stage follows a different deorbit profile for crewed missions, there is no increased risk to crew safety during ascent.” Therefore, both NASA and SpaceX are confirmed as ‘go’ for the Crew-12 mission to launch to the International Space Station.
What do you think about SpaceX's rapid response to the anomaly? Are they doing enough to ensure safety? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
