SpaceX is set to make history with the upcoming launch of its 600th Falcon 9 rocket, marking a significant milestone in the company's journey. This ambitious mission, known as the Starlink 17-13, will take place on Saturday evening from Vandenberg Space Force Base, sending 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit. The launch is scheduled for 5:59:59 p.m. PST, at the end of the launch window, and will be a spectacle to behold.
But here's where it gets interesting. The rocket, powered by the Falcon 9 first stage booster with the tail number 1081, has a unique story. This will be its 22nd flight, having already launched four missions for NASA (Crew-7, CRS-29, PACE, and TRACERS). The booster's journey is not over yet. More than eight minutes after liftoff, it will attempt a landing on the drone ship, 'Of Course I Still Love You,' positioned in the Pacific Ocean. If successful, this will be the 178th landing on this vessel and the 571st booster landing to date for SpaceX.
This mission comes just hours after SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, named Freedom, arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) at 3:15 p.m. EST. The orbital arrival of three astronauts and one cosmonaut was a remarkable feat, achieved roughly 34 hours after launching from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. With such a busy schedule, SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of space exploration and innovation, leaving us in awe of their capabilities.
Stay tuned for live coverage from Spaceflight Now, starting about 30 minutes prior to liftoff. This launch is a testament to SpaceX's dedication to space exploration and its commitment to pushing the limits of what's possible. Will they make it 600 and beyond? We'll find out soon enough.
