SpaceX Launches Starlink Mission on Falcon 9 From Cape Canaveral for National Space Day

SpaceX launched a batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. The Falcon 9 rocket took off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday afternoon. SpaceX confirmed deployment of the 29 satellites. The Starlink 10-38 mission carried 29 broadband internet satellites. This was the 43rd mission of the year with Starlink as the primary payload. The spacecraft add to a megaconstellation that consists of more than 10,000 vehicles. Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 occurred at 2:06:10 p.m. EDT. The rocket flew on a north-easterly trajectory. The 45th Weather Squadron forecast an 80 percent chance for favorable weather. Launch weather officers said showers may develop along the sea breeze pinned to the coastline due to offshore flow. The Cumulus Cloud Rule was the primary concern. Secondary concerns involved the Thick Cloud Layers Rule due to the boundary proximity to the north. SpaceX used Falcon 9 first stage booster B1069 for its 31st flight. The booster landed on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean nearly 8.5 minutes after liftoff. This was the 149th landing on the ship and the 607th booster landing to date. The company recently retired its other East Coast drone ship Just Read the Instructions. It is repurposing the vessel as a transport vessel for its Starship rocket program.