In a fortunate turn of events, SpaceX took advantage of a weather delay to successfully launch 23 Starlink satellites from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission, known as Starlink 6-40, saw the addition of the Starlink Version 2 Mini satellites to the ever-growing low Earth orbit constellation.
The Falcon 9 rocket liftoff occurred at 10:30 a.m. EST on Feb. 29, marking only the fourth time an orbital launch has happened on Leap Day. The first stage booster, tail number B1076, made a successful landing on the droneship ‘Just Read the Instructions’ in the Atlantic Ocean.
The decision to proceed with the launch was made due to poor weather conditions in the Atlantic Ocean, which also affected the recovery crew and astronauts on the Crew-8 mission. NASA and SpaceX ultimately agreed to reschedule the Crew-8 mission for March 2nd for the safety of all personnel involved.
This mission further solidifies SpaceX’s position as a leader in the space industry, with the company continuing to expand its Starlink constellation for global internet coverage. Stay tuned for more updates on SpaceX’s upcoming missions and achievements on ‘The Puck Drop’.
