SpaceX Completes Static Fire Test Ahead of Starlink Satellite Launch
SpaceX successfully test-fires a Falcon 9 rocket at Kennedy Space Center in preparation for next week's launch of 60 Starlink internet satellites.
SpaceX successfully test-fires a Falcon 9 rocket at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, keeping the company on track for a launch next Thursday. The rocket's nine first-stage engines produce 1.7 million pounds of thrust during the routine static fire test, while hold-down restraints keep the 229-foot-tall vehicle firmly on the ground.
The mission is scheduled for April 23 at 3:16 p.m. EDT to carry another batch of 60 Starlink broadband internet satellites into orbit. This launch date represents a delay from the original April 16 target, as SpaceX adjusts its schedule to accommodate the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Launch operations at Cape Canaveral continue at a reduced pace, with two previous Falcon 9 missions postponed by customers due to COVID-19 impacts. The 45th Space Wing remains open to support launches, requiring strict physical distancing and face coverings to ensure personnel safety during the Starlink mission.