Launch Roundup: Falcon 9 to launch crewed mission, Rocket Lab to launch 65th Electron

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SpaceX continues to dominate the launch manifest with five missions this week, including a crewed mission for Axiom, SXM-10, and three Starlink launches from various locations around the globe. Additionally, Rocket Lab is set to conduct its 65th Electron flight, transporting the BlackSky Gen-3 satellite to orbit on the “Full Stream Ahead” mission.

Falcon 9 | Starlink Group 12-19

Starlink Group 12-19 is scheduled to launch on the morning of June 2 at 12:57 AM EDT (4:57 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida. This mission is anticipated to carry approximately 23 Starlink v2 Mini satellites on a southeastern trajectory to an orbit of 284 km by 293 km inclined at 43 degrees. 13 of the 23 satellites will feature Direct-to-Cell capabilities.

Booster B1077 is flying again, this time on its 21st flight. This booster has previously launched the Crew-5, CRS SpX-28, CRS NG-20, and 13 Starlink missions. B1077 aims to land a 21st time on SpaceX’s autonomous droneship Just Read the Instructions, which is expected to be stationed nearly 600 km downrange in the Atlantic Ocean.

Starlink satellites are deployed during the Starlink Group 12-8 mission. (Credit: SpaceX)

Electron | Full Stream Ahead

Electron is launching the second of five missions for BlackSky Technology on June 3 at 11:30 AM NZST (23:30 UTC on June 2). This mission, named “Full Stream Ahead,” aims to launch the second BlackSky Generation 3 satellite from Launch Complex-1B (LC-1B) at the Māhia Peninsula in New Zealand into its constellation in a mid-inclination circular 470 km orbit using Rocket Lab’s kick stage, Curie. “Full Stream Ahead” was initially scheduled to launch on May 28, but additional checkout requirements delayed the launch. Additionally, inclement weather led to the launch being pushed back six days to June 3.

This mission will mark Rocket Lab’s 10th launch for BlackSky Technology, which is the highest number of launches for this constellation by any provider. BlackSky’s Gen-3 satellite variant can produce images with a resolution of 50 cm and is equipped with various sensors, including shortwave infrared sensors. Full Stream Ahead will be the seventh Electron mission of 2025 and its 65th launch overall.

Falcon 9 | Starlink Group 11-22

The second Starlink mission of the week, Starlink Group 11-18, is expected to launch on June 3 at 4:50 PM PDT (23:50 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at the Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) in California. A batch of 27 Starlink v2 Mini satellites is expected to fly on a southern trajectory to a low-Earth orbit (LEO) inclined at 53 degrees.

The booster, which is currently unknown, is expected to land on SpaceX’s west coast droneship, Of Course I Still Love You, which will be stationed downrange in the Pacific Ocean. This marks SpaceX’s 68th Falcon 9 mission of the year.

Falcon 9 | SXM-10

SiriusXM is launching one of its third-generation high-powered digital audio radio satellites aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9. This launch will send SiriusXM’s SXM-10 satellite into space, replacing the older XM3 and XM4 satellites, which were launched in 2005 and 2006, respectively. In August 2021, Maxar Technologies was contracted to develop the SXM-10 satellite. Maxar has a strong history of building multiple satellites for SiriusXM, dating back to the introduction of the first-generation satellites in 2000.

Scheduled to launch on June 7 from SLC-40 at the CCSFS at 11:00 PM EST (3:00 UTC on June 7), Falcon 9 will transport this satellite, which weighs over 6,000 kg, to a geostationary transfer orbit, where it will join the long-standing SiriusXM constellation to service over 33 million SiriusXM subscribers. The Falcon 9 booster launching this mission is currently unknown, but it will land on one of SpaceX’s two autonomous droneships stationed on the east coast a few minutes after launch.

Falcon 9 | Starlink Group 15-8

On June 8 at 6:34 AM PDT (13:34 UTC), Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch the Starlink Group 15-8 mission from SLC-4E at VSFB in California. The payload for this mission consists of 26 Starlink v2 Mini satellites. The satellites will follow a southerly trajectory to an orbit inclined 70 degrees.

The booster for this mission is currently unknown. However, it is known that it will land on SpaceX’s autonomous droneship, Of Course I Still Love You, downrange in the Pacific Ocean shortly after launch.

Falcon 9 | Axiom Mission 4

Axiom Space is returning to the International Space Station (ISS) with another crew on the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) mission. Launching from the historic Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Commander Peggy Whitson, Pilot Shubhanshu Shukla, Mission Specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, and Mission Specialist Tibor Kapu will launch on June 9 at 8:46 AM EDT (12:46 UTC) to dock with the ISS. They will remain docked at the ISS for up to 14 days while they conduct 60 scientific studies and activities for multiple countries around the world.

Ax-4 commercial astronauts posing for a photo in Crew Dragon C213. (Credit: SpaceX/Axiom Space)

This mission will serve as Crew Dragon C213’s first flight, during which it will likely receive a name from the crew while in orbit. Upon the completion of the mission, it will splash down off the coast of California and be recovered by one of SpaceX’s recovery ships. Booster B1094 will launch the Ax-4 mission, flying for a second time after successfully delivering Starlink Group 12-10 to orbit just 41 days ago. B1094 will perform a return-to-launch-site landing shortly after liftoff at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1).

This flight features several historic milestones: Shubhanshu Shukla will become India’s second astronaut to reach space since 1984; Sławosz Uznański will become the second Polish astronaut to reach space since 1978; and Tibor Kapu will become Hungary’s second astronaut to reach space since 1980. Additionally, Peggy Whitson is commanding her second commercial human spaceflight mission after commanding the Ax-2 mission. She also holds the record for the longest cumulative time in space by an American astronaut, a record that will only grow with this mission.

Most research studies on this mission heavily focus on human health, plant and microbial biology, the effects of microgravity, and technology demonstrations from Axiom Space, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), and the European Space Agency (ESA). These 60 experiments, which will be completed within 14 days or less, will help those on Earth gain a deeper understanding of how the world around us works. Ax-4 is expected to set the record for the most research activities conducted during an Axiom Space mission to date.

(Lead Image: Falcon 9 launches from Florida. Credit: Julia Bergeron for NSF)

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