SpaceX is set to launch two communication satellites, O3b mPOWER 7 and 8, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida today (Dec. 17). The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the satellites, is scheduled to lift off at 3:59 p.m. EDT during an 87-minute window.
The satellites are operated by SES, a Luxembourg-based company, as part of its medium Earth orbit (MEO) communications constellation. O3b mPOWER currently consists of six satellites, with five more set to be launched on future Falcon 9 missions. The network is expected to grow to a total of 11 satellites.
The spacecraft weigh around 3,750 pounds each and are built by Boeing. The Falcon 9’s first stage will attempt to land back on the droneship “Just Read the Instructions” about 8.5 minutes after launch, marking its first-ever successful landing for this booster.
Once launched, the rocket’s upper stage will deploy the satellites to orbit. The first satellite is expected to reach orbit approximately 113 minutes after launch, while the second one will follow seven minutes later. This marks SpaceX’s 84th mission of 2023 and adds to the company’s growing portfolio of Falcon 9 launches.
As part of its efforts to build out its Starlink broadband network, SpaceX has launched over 120 Falcon 9 missions this year alone. The Starlink megaconstellation currently consists of more than 6,800 operational satellites, with plans for up to 40,000 spacecraft in the future.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launch-2-mpower-communication-satellites-from-florida