SpaceX set to launch a full complement of Starlink satellites with visors

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  A Falcon 9 rocket is ready to go for its 10th Starlink mission. [credit: Trevor Mahlmann ]

SpaceX is preparing for its 10th launch of Starlink satellites on Friday afternoon. The launch on board a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida is scheduled for 4:18pm ET (20:18 UTC). The weather outlook for Friday's launch attempt is favorable.

On this 10th launch, it's worth stepping back to realize that, in addition to developing reusable rockets, two different Dragon spacecraft, and working on its ambitious Starship project, SpaceX has also built 600 satellites in the last couple of years. And these are not small CubeSats—each of the Starlink satellites weighs 260kg and has its own on-board propulsion system. This is a pretty remarkable new production capability.

That SpaceX has launched so many satellites in the last year, and plans to launch thousands more as it builds out a constellation of beacons in low-Earth orbit to provide global Internet service from space, has understandably raised concerns among astronomers. SpaceX has tried to be attentive to these concerns.

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