SpaceX is preparing to launch its Falcon 9 rocket as part of the Starlink 17-33 mission, following a brief stand down period that lasted less than a week. The launch is scheduled for February 7, 2024, at 09:21 PST (12:21 EST / 17:21 UTC) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This mission will deploy 25 additional Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit, contributing to the growing megaconstellation, which currently comprises over 9,600 satellites, according to orbital tracker and astronomer Jonathan McDowell.
Launch Details and Recovery Plans
The Falcon 9 rocket will take off from pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, flying on a south-southwesterly trajectory. The mission utilizes the Falcon 9 first stage booster designated B1088, marking its 13th flight. This booster has previously supported important missions, including NASA’s SPHEREx and Transporter-12, along with two batches of satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office.
Approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1088 will aim for a landing on the drone ship named “Of Course I Still Love You,” located in the Pacific Ocean. If successful, this will be the 176th landing on this vessel and the 568th booster landing for SpaceX overall.
The upcoming launch represents a return to SpaceX’s routine launch cadence after a brief period of delays. Following the Starlink 17-32 mission, which took place on February 2, 2024, the company had planned to launch the Starlink 6-103 mission shortly after. However, an in-flight anomaly occurred during that mission.
Investigation and Resumption of Flights
On February 2, SpaceX confirmed that the second stage experienced an “off-nominal condition” while preparing for its deorbit burn. Despite this issue, the vehicle performed as designed, successfully deploying all 25 Starlink satellites to their intended orbit.
In the aftermath of the anomaly, SpaceX rolled back the Starlink satellites from pad 40 to its Hangar X facilities at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The company then prepared for the Crew-12 mission by rolling out booster tail number 1101 to the pad.
On February 3, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the conclusion of its investigation into the incident, allowing SpaceX to resume its FAA-licensed flights. The FAA’s final report indicated that the probable cause of the anomaly was the Falcon 9 stage 2 engine’s failure to ignite before the deorbit burn. SpaceX has since implemented technical and organizational measures to prevent a recurrence of such events.
The Falcon 9 vehicle is now cleared to return to flight, and the upcoming Starlink 17-33 mission is poised to add further capacity to SpaceX’s expanding satellite network. As the launch approaches, SpaceX remains committed to enhancing global internet access through its innovative satellite technology.
