SpaceX has four Starlink® launches lined up between 1 and 4 May, with Falcon 9 rockets lifting off from three different pads on the US coasts. Each flight adds another batch of satellites to the constellation Offgrid Internet rents out here in Western Australia.
Next Starlink missions
SpaceX is running the launches roughly 24 hours apart, alternating between Florida and California pads to keep the cadence up. Here is what is on the manifest.
1 May launch
A Falcon 9 is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral on the evening of 1 May, with a window of 18:51 to 22:51 PDT. The payload is 28 small satellites bound for low Earth orbit and the Starlink 6-75 group.
The mission carries a price tag of around US$52 million. Forecasters are calling 99% favourable weather, with temperatures near 24°C, broken cloud and winds around 20 km/h.
After stage separation, the first stage will attempt a landing on an Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship (ASDS) stationed off the East Coast.
2 May launch
The next day, a second Falcon 9 lifts off from Vandenberg between 11:27 and 15:55 PDT, carrying another batch of small satellites for the Starlink 15-3 group.
The mission is budgeted at the same US$52 million. Recovery will be attempted on the ASDS Of Course I Still Love You, on station in the Pacific.
3 May launch
The launch site moves back to Cape Canaveral SFS on 3 May, with a window of 18:40 to 22:40 PDT. The payload heads to the Starlink 6-93 group, and the cost again sits at US$52 million.
The first stage is set to land on one of the East Coast drone ships.
4 May launch
Closing out the series, a Falcon 9 lifts off from Kennedy Space Center on 4 May between 01:48 and 05:48 PDT, deploying small satellites for the Starlink 6-84 group. Same US$52 million budget, same East Coast ASDS recovery.
Four launches in four days. Every successful flight means more capacity overhead, which translates to faster speeds and better availability for Starlink users on the ground, including travellers and remote workers relying on satellite internet across regional Australia.
We will update this post if any of the windows slip or scrub.