Launch Roundup: Falcon 9 and Electron to extend satellite constellations

SpaceX's Falcon 9 set to launch Starlink mission

SpaceX is targeting Tuesday, August 9, for the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a batch of Starlink satellites from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The launch window opens at 5:13 p.m. EDT (21:13 UTC). This will be the 33rd dedicated Starlink mission for SpaceX, and the fourth of 2023.

The Starlink constellation consists of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) that provide broadband internet service to remote and underserved areas around the world. SpaceX has already launched over 3,000 Starlink satellites, and plans to launch many more in the coming years.

Electron rocket to launch 36 satellites for AST SpaceMobile

Rocket Lab's Electron rocket is scheduled to launch 36 satellites for AST SpaceMobile from New Zealand on Thursday, August 11. The launch window opens at 12:00 p.m. NZST (22:00 UTC on August 10).

AST SpaceMobile is developing a space-based cellular network that will provide global broadband coverage. The satellites that will be launched by Electron will be part of AST SpaceMobile's BlueWalker 3 constellation. Once deployed, the BlueWalker 3 constellation will provide 4G and 5G cellular coverage to smartphones and other devices around the world.

These two launches are part of a growing trend of commercial companies using rockets to launch satellites for a variety of purposes, including broadband internet, Earth observation, and scientific research.