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SpaceX’s two launches in one day; successful sendoff of 21 Starlink smallsats including 13 Direct to Cell then secret mission NROL-113

Overcast weather in Florida didn’t prevent today’s launch of 21 Starlink smallsats including 13 Direct to Cell. Photo captured on Thursday, September 5, by Satnews from SpaceX’s video stream.

After a delay due to weather, today, Thursday, September 5 at 11:33 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Home again, as Falcon 9 touches down. Photo captured on Thursday, September 5, by Satnews from SpaceX’s video stream.

This was the 15th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, and now nine Starlink missions.

Also planned later today, SpaceX is targeting Thursday, September 5 for a Falcon 9 launch of the NROL-113 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The launch window opens at 8:20 p.m. PT. If needed, a backup opportunity is available on Friday, September 6 starting at 7:58 p.m. PT.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX.

This is the 20th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Sentinel-6, Michael Freilich, DART, Transporter-7, Iridium OneWeb, SDA-0B, and 14 Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

SpaceX moves Starlink smallsat launch to Thursday, will include Direct to Cell

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SpaceX is targeting Thursday, September 5 for a Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 8:35 a.m. ET, with additional opportunities available until 12:31 p.m. ET.

SpaceX scrubbed its Starlink 8-11 mission Wednesday afternoon due to “unfavorable booster recovery weather conditions in the Atlantic,” the company posted on X. The 20 satellites were originally set to launch at 9:01 a.m. ET., however, SpaceX pushed back that time to 12:07 p.m. ET., and had the last backup opportunity at 12:59 p.m. ET. 

The 45th Weather Squadron initially gave a 70% chance of good liftoff conditions, with the only concerns being the cumulus cloud and anvil rules.

Forecast Discussion:
Another wet day is expected as deep tropical moisture pools across the Florida Peninsula south of a lingering trough. This pattern will continue above normal rain chances for the state through the week. With south to southeast flow, scattered morning showers with isolated thunderstorms are expected across the coastal waters during the initial launch window. Late in the window, the sea breeze may begin to generate showers and storms along the Space Coast. The main concerns will be for the Cumulus Cloud Rule and Anvil Rules.

Deep moisture will continue for the backup launch window on Thursday, with southerly flow remaining. Aside from some subtle meandering of the trough, the pattern largely remains the same, so a matching POV is in order for the backup launch window.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch here and on X @SpaceX.

This is the 15th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, and eight Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read The Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX plans Wednesday launch of 21 Starlink satellites including 13 Direct to Cell

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SpaceX is targeting Wednesday, September 4 for a Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink small satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Liftoff is targeted for 8:59 a.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 12:59 p.m. ET. If needed, additional launch opportunities are available on Thursday, September 5 starting at 8:35 a.m. ET.

A live webcast of this mission will begin about five minutes prior to liftoff, which you can watch on X @SpaceX.

This is the 15th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, and eight Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read The Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

If successful, this launch will mark the 7,000th Starlink satellite launched to date, according to statistics compiled by Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer and expert orbital tracker. Liftoff from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is set for 8:59 a.m. EDT (1259 UTC).

According to the 45th Weather Squadron, “Another wet day is expected as deep tropical moisture pools across the Florida Peninsula south of a lingering trough. This pattern will continue above normal rain chances for the state through the week.”

There’s a 70 percent chance of favorable weather at liftoff and may include the presence of cumulus and anvil clouds. The forecast calls for a temperature of 83°F, scattered clouds, 37% cloud cover and a wind speed of 9mph.