Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites from Vandenberg announced for Wednesday afternoon

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. – SpaceX announced a Falcon 9 launch window from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday, Dec. 4, beginning at 4:06 p.m. and continuing until 8:06 p.m

The Falcon 9 launch is expected to carry 20 Starlink satellites, including 13 with direct-to-cell capabilities, from Space Launch Complex 4 East into low Earth orbit.

In the event of a cancellation on Thursday, December 5th, additional starting options have been set.

The image below shows SpaceX’s direct-to-cell capabilities.

After separation in the first stage, the Falcon 9 launch vehicle will return to Earth and land on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You,” which is waiting for you in the Pacific Ocean (see the image provided by SpaceX below).

This will be the 12th mission for the Falcon 9 carrier, which has already launched: Crew 7, CRS-29, NROL-186, EarthCARE, PACE, Transporter-10 and five previous Starlink missions.