How to watch SpaceX launch its 16th Starlink mission today

By Georgina Torbet November 24, 2020

Starlink Mission

The launch of the Sentinel-6 ocean-monitoring satellite by NASA and the European Space Agency on Saturday was supposed to be followed by the launch of a batch of Starlink satellites by SpaceX on Sunday. But the mission was postponed just a few hours before liftoff in order to make further checks. Now, 9:13 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 24 is being targeted for a possible launch.

Contents

When is the 16th Starlink launch?
How to watch the 16th Starlink launch
What to expect from the 16th Starlink launch

Now targeting Tuesday, November 24 at 9:13 p.m. EST for Falcon 9’s launch of Starlink, when weather conditions in the recovery area should improve

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 23, 2020

SpaceX has become expert at not only launches with its Falcon 9 rockets but also at catching the Falcon 9’s reusable first stage. For the NASA/ESA launch on Saturday, the first stage landed back on the ground, in the same place it took off from. For the upcoming Starlink launch, the company will aim to catch the first stage on a droneship stationed in the ocean.

The launch will be livestreamed by SpaceX, and we’ve got all the details on how you can watch.

When is the 16th Starlink launch?

SpaceX is now aiming to begin the mission at 9:13 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 24, though this is yet to be confirmed.

The 16th batch of Starlink satellites will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sending 60 Starlink satellites into orbit.

Following the launch, the first stage of the Falcon 9 will return to Earth and be caught by the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You,” which will be standing by in the Atlantic Ocean.

How to watch the 16th Starlink launch

The launch will be shown live on SpaceX’s YouTube channel. You can watch the video either via the SpaceX website or by using the video embedded at the top of this page.

The livestream begins around 15 minutes before liftoff. The video will show the final preparations before launch, the countdown, the liftoff, and the catching of the first stage. It will also announce key milestones in the launch process like the separation of the first and second stages, the deployment of the fairing, and the deployment of the satellites themselves.

What to expect from the 16th Starlink launch

One noteworthy part of this launch is the reuse of both the Falcon 9’s first stage booster and its fairing. The first stage has previously flown on no less than six missions, including four previous Starlink launches and two other satellite launches. The fairing is composed of two pieces, one of which has previously been used in one mission, and the other of which has previously been used in two missions.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Georgina Torbet

Space Writer

Georgina is the Digital Trends space writer, covering human space exploration, planetary science, and cosmology. She…

Space

SpaceX already has a date in mind for next Starship launch

spacex cinematic video previews starship test

SpaceX launched the mighty Starship for the first time in April last year, but it took a full seven months before it became airborne again.

Following the second test flight in November, SpaceX managed to get the Starship off the launchpad again just four months later in a spectacular flight that took place last week.

Space

Take a high-speed ride on SpaceX’s emergency escape chute

A view from inside Crew Dragon's emergency escape chute.

SpaceX has put a Crew Dragon on Pad 40 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the first time. This means that going forward, SpaceX will have two pads to choose from when sending astronauts to space.

Up to now, crews launching on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft lift off from Pad 39A at Kennedy, but having another launch site available gives NASA and SpaceX greater flexibility when planning missions by easing pressure on teams if scheduling issues and traffic conflicts arise.

Space

SpaceX shares awesome rocket imagery from Starship flight

A view of Earth captured from SpaceX's Starship spacecraft.

SpaceX’s third Starship test flight last Thursday was its best yet, far exceeding the first two missions, which took place last year and ended in huge fireballs just a few minutes in.

This time, the Starship -- comprising the first-stage Super Heavy booster and upper-stage Starship spacecraft -- kept on flying, with both parts reaching their destination points before breaking up on descent.