Starlink 4-12 (Falcon 9) 19 March 2022 |
Space Launch Complex 40 Cape Canaveral Space Force Station |
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 53 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 12:42 a.m. on 19 March 2022. After stage separation Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth and landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. The first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched Dragon’s first crew demonstration mission, the RADARSAT Constellation Mission, SXM-7, and eight Starlink missions - making for a record breaking twelfth flight! This booster has flown from both coasts, both here in Florida and from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The fairing halves are both being reflown; one for the fourth time, and the other for the second time. |
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TIME EXPOSURE OF THE LAUNCH |
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The rocket was delayed over two hours to allow a severe rainstorm to pass but by launch time there was still clouds in the area. |
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TELEPHOTO VIEWS OF THE LAUNCH |
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Not noticeable through the camera at the time but the ground views were shot through a distant tree hence the distortion in the views of the pad. |
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