Skip to main content

How to watch SpaceX’s next Starlink launch on Friday

 

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.

Recommended Videos

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.

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.

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.

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)…
Watch this SpaceX rocket launch on 15th anniversary of first Falcon 9 liftoff
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches on the 15th anniversary of the first Falcon 9 launch.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket roared skyward on Wednesday on what was also the 15th anniversary of the first-ever Falcon 9 launch.

The anniversary mission launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, deploying 27 Starlink internet satellites to low-Earth orbit.

Read more
SpaceX wants to send humans to Mars by 2028, here’s why it won’t
The Starship rocket on the launchpad.

This week saw another dramatic test of SpaceX's Starship, when the mighty rocket exploded once again, and both the upper and lower stages were lost. The test wasn't a complete failure, as the upper stage did reach space for the first time, but it's clear that there's still a lot of work to do to make the world's most powerful rocket something that can be relied on for its eventual intended use: carrying crew to Mars.

Undaunted by this latest setback, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced in a talk shared yesterday, May 29, that the company would be sending "millions of people" to Mars, in order to create a "self-sustaining civilization" there. The aim, Musk says, is to launch a Starship to Mars by 2026, and if that goes well, then to launch a crewed mission two years later, in late 2028 or early 2029.

Read more
After Starship’s 9th test, astronaut shares unique view of earlier flights
SpaceX's Starship on its sixth flight, as seen from the space station.

SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket roared skyward for the ninth time on Tuesday, with the test flight delivering mixed results.

The upper-stage Starship spacecraft coasted for around 40 minutes before breaking up on reentry, a performance that beat the seventh and eighth tests when the vehicles broke up soon after stage separation. The first-stage Super Heavy booster, meanwhile, exploded on its descent, though SpaceX had said beforehand that this could happen as it was trying out a new system for the return flight that put extra pressure on the booster.

Read more