SpaceX Starlink: How to watch Falcon 9 launch next batch of satellites

Elon Musk’s brain-computer company has been getting a lot of attention this week, but a quick reminder: His spaceflight company is readying yet another SpaceX Starlink launch. Before some pesky weather Sunday, SpaceX was going to attempt two launches within nine hours: A Starlink launch and the launch of the Saocom satellite. The latter made it off the pad and returned in spectacular fashion, but the Starlink launch was postponed. Now we know when it will be — and how you can watch.

The Starlink launch will now occur on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 5:46 a.m. PT (8:46 a.m. ET) from Launch Complex 39-A at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Now targeting Thursday, September 3 at 8:46 a.m. EDT for launch of Starlink from Launch Complex 39A, pending Range acceptance — team is using additional time for data review

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 31, 2020

When a livestream link becomes available, we’ll have it right here. You can always find a link to SpaceX launches at their webcast site.

The Falcon 9 rocket booster being used for the launch previously flew on June 30, delivering a US Space Force satellite to orbit. It will be the 11th operational flight for the Starlink satellite megaconstellation, which is designed to provide internet across the planet. Each Starlink launch features a batch of around 60 satellites and there are currently over 600 in orbit.  

Starlink has caused significant pain for astronomers, who claim the satellites are bright enough to disturb their imaging of the cosmos. SpaceX is working with the astronomical community to minimize impacts, but there’s a long way to go. The satellites are now being launched with “sunvisors” which make them less reflective, but at a recent satellite conference in the US, there was only one suggestion to eliminate the impacts entirely: launch fewer or no LEO sats.