Countdown to Liftoff: Today’s Exciting Rocket Launch Details!

Dec. 28: SpaceX launching 2 rockets today

SpaceX is set to conduct two rocket launches within the next 12 hours, one taking place in California and the other in Florida.

The initial launch is a Falcon 9 rocket scheduled to take off on Saturday, Dec. 28, from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 5:48 p.m. PST (8:48 EST, 0148 GMT). You can view the launch on SpaceX’s X account and mission page beginning approximately 15 minutes prior to liftoff.

This operation, referred to as Starlink 11-3, will deliver 22 new Starlink internet satellites into orbit for SpaceX’s expanding megaconstellation. This will mark the 16th mission for the Falcon 9 first stage, with SpaceX aiming to recover the stage by landing it on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You shortly following launch. Prior missions encompass 12 Starlink launches, a Transporter-11 rideshare flight, as well as the SARah-2 and SDA-0A satellite missions.

The second launch by SpaceX is actually set for Sunday, Dec. 29, with the liftoff occurring at 12 a.m. EST (0500 GMT), marking a midnight launch for this flight. You can catch the launch on SpaceX’s X account and mission page about 15 minutes prior to liftoff.

This attempt is dubbed “Astranis: From One to Many” and will send four small “MicroGEO” communication satellites into orbit to enhance connectivity on Earth for various clients. Two satellites will offer in-flight connectivity services for customers of Colorado-based Anuvu, one will cater to a client in the Philippines, while the fourth satellite will be utilized by Astranis as a “UtilitySat” for diverse clients.

This marks SpaceX’s second endeavor to launch the Astranis mission, as a previous attempt on Dec. 21 resulted in an abort at the T-0 mark.

That concludes the rocket launches scheduled for today.

NOTE: SpaceX also has plans to launch another 21 Starlink satellites, this time from Florida, on Monday, Dec. 30, at 12 a.m. EST, so stay tuned for an update on that one tomorrow. ALSO: An Indian Space Research Organisation Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle is on the agenda to launch the new SpaDeX to trial autonomous rendezvous and docking technology, while carrying 24 other scientific payloads for ISRO, universities, and companies aboard its Poem-4 module. ISRO’s SpaDeX is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 30, at 11:28 a.m. EST (9:58 p.m. IST, 1628 GMT).