Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Space
  3. News

How to watch SpaceX’s next Starlink launch on Friday

Trevor Mogg
By

SpaceX is aiming for its 11th rocket launch of the year on Friday, June 26, carrying another batch of its Starlink internet satellites into low Earth orbit.

The commercial space company led by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has already postponed the launch twice this week, so here’s hoping things work out this time around.

Recommended Videos

The Falcon 9 rocket will carry 57 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit for SpaceX’s proposed internet-from-space service. It will also deploy two satellites for Seattle-based Earth-imaging company BlackSky, marking the second outing for SpaceX’s Smallsat Rideshare Program that enables companies to deploy satellites in low-Earth orbit at a fraction of the usual cost.

Related

Friday’s mission will see SpaceX’s Starlink constellation expand to nearly 600 satellites, edging the company closer to launching broadband services for homes and businesses. Private beta testing is expected to start in the next month or two for select users, while a public beta should be up and running for parts of North America this fall.

This year is shaping up to be a record one for SpaceX in terms of launches. Its most active year to date was 2018 when it launched 21 rockets. But with its 11th launch of this year coming on Friday, and the next one slated for Tuesday, June 30, it’s well on its way to hitting its target of more than 35 launches for 2020.

How to watch

SpaceX will show Friday’s launch on its YouTube channel. Unstable weather conditions in Florida could disrupt the mission, so be sure to check SpaceX’s Twitter account for the latest updates. Conditions permitting, the Falcon 9 will head skyward at 4:18 p.m. ET.

Besides the stunning spectacle of SpaceX’s rocket heading to space, you can also enjoy the amazing sight minutes later of the booster returning to Earth and landing upright on a barge off the coast of Florida. There’ll also be live footage of the moment the satellites deploy and gently glide apart over Earth.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
SpaceX given green light to send mighty Starship rocket skyward
A Super Heavy booster on the launchpad at SpaceX's site in Texas.

A Super Heavy booster on the launchpad at SpaceX's site in Texas. SpaceX / SpaceX

SpaceX has been given the green light to send its Super Heavy rocket and Starship spacecraft skyward in what will be only the second test launch of the world's most powerful spaceflight system.

Read more
How to watch SpaceX launch world’s most powerful rocket on Saturday
The Starship, comprising the first-stage Super Heavy and the upper-stage Starship spacecraft, on the launchpad at SpaceX's facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

 

UPDATE: SpaceX has called off Friday's launch of the Starship and is now targeting Saturday. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said in a social media post that engineers need to replace a grid fin actuator on the first-stage Super Heavy booster, a part which helps to steer the vehicle back to Earth. This article has been updated with the new launch schedule.

Read more
SpaceX says it could fly Starship on Friday, but it depends on one thing
The Starship, comprising the first-stage Super Heavy and the upper-stage Starship spacecraft, on the launchpad at SpaceX's facility in Boca Chica, Texas.

SpaceX has said it could be in a position to perform the second launch of its next-generation Starship rocket this Friday, though it added that it can only happen once it’s received the nod from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“Starship preparing to launch as early as November 17, pending final regulatory approval," SpaceX said in a recent post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Read more