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SpaceX launch scheduled Friday at Vandenberg Space Force Base

spacex falcon 9 rocket 3323.JPG
Posted at 5:02 PM, Mar 16, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-16 20:02:22-04

A SpaceX rocket launch is scheduled to take place this Friday at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The Falcon 9 rocket is set to take off at 12:21 p.m.

It will be carrying 52 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. Starlink is SpaceX's high-speed broadband satellite internet service designed to reach rural and remote communities.

If the launch is scrubbed for any reason, there are backup launch opportunities at 4:19 p.m. Friday, 12:07 p.m. Saturday, and 4:05 p.m. Saturday.

Following stage separation, about eight minutes after liftoff, SpaceX plans to land the rocket's first stage booster on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean. The booster being used in this launch was used for seven previous missions.

A live webcast of the launch is scheduled to begin about five minutes prior to liftoff.

This will be SpaceX's fifth launch from Vandenberg this year.