Elon Musk’s company Space X is set to launch a Falcon 9 rocket today, carrying 22 Starlink satellites to the orbit from the Vandenberg Space force base.
Meanwhile another space company called United Launch Alliance (ULA) is set to launch its Delta Heavy IV rocket one last time, Space reported.
Musk’s Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled for lift-off on Thursday, March 28. However, due to rocket refueling, it was delayed to Friday.
This will be Space X’s 15th flight for their first stage booster and 30th Falcon 9 flight for 2024.
If all things go well the rocket will touchdown back to Earth after 8.5 minutes off its launch. Till now, Space X has launched 6,077 Starlink satellites, out of which 5,610 are currently operational and 467 are not working.
In Addition to Space X launch today, ULA will be launching its Delta heavy-lift rocket on its last journey to the orbit, carrying classified payload on behalf of the United States National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), CBS News reported.
According to a statement published by ULA, the payload aboard Friday’s launch will “strengthen the NRO’s ability to provide a wide-range of timely intelligence information to national decision makers, warfighters, and intelligence analysts to protect the nation’s vital interests and support humanitarian efforts worldwide”.
