Live coverage: SpaceX plans to launch back-to-back, cross-country Falcon 9 launches

SpaceX is kicking off the second week of October with a planned pair of back-to-back Falcon 9 launches, lifting off from both of its Space Force-based launch pads.

Up first is the Starlink 6-22 mission, which is targeting liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 10:56 p.m. EDT (0256 UTC). It will loft 22 Starlink V2 Mini satellites up to low Earth orbit. The launch had been scheduled earlier in the evening but was delayed as pre-launch preparations had fallen behind schedule.

The Florida launch will be followed less than 4.5 hours later by the Starlink 7-4 mission, which aims to launch at 12:23 a.m. PDT (3:23 a.m. EDT, 0723 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Because of its trajectory, its payload consists of a slightly smaller load of 21 Starlink V2 Mini satellites.

Both mission will feature Falcon 9 rockets. The two first-stage boosters, B1067 at SLC-40 and B1063 at SLC-4E, will each be launching for the 14th time.

Both missions also have multiple backup opportunities within their respective launch windows. Starlink 6-22 has three reserve liftoff times, running from 10:58 p.m. to 12:35 a.m. EDT (0258-0435 UTC), and Starlink 7-4 has four additional launch times from 1:14-3:46 a.m. PDT (4:14-7:46 a.m. EDT, 0714-1146 UTC).

A Falcon 9 booster was raised upright just before 6 p.m. EDT (2200 UTC) on Sunday, Oct. 8 for the Starlink 6-22 mission. Image: Spaceflight Now.

Busier every year

SLC-40 continues to be a workhorse launch pad for SpaceX. Following the Starlink 6-22 mission, the company will have used it to launch a total of 148 times, a majority of the 263 Falcon 9 launches that will have taken place by that point.

This mission also has the potential to set a record for SLC-40. If SpaceX is able to launch at 10:56 p.m. on Sunday, it will mark the shortest turnaround time for that launch pad at 3 days, 21 hours, 19 minutes and 30 seconds.

SpaceX is also greatly ramping up activity at Vandenberg. Following the Starlink 7-4 mission, it will account for 21 out of the 22 industry launches from VSFB so far in 2023. The other mission was Firefly Aerospace’s Victus Nox launch in September.

Live commentary for the Starlink 6-22 mission will begin at 10 p.m. EDT (0200 UTC). Commentary for the Starlink 7-4 mission will be available in Launchpad Live on our YouTube channel.