SpaceX will attempt to land the first stage of a rocket booster on its drone ship off the coast of Exuma, an island in the Bahamas, for the first time on Tuesday, the company announced. The launch, scheduled for 6 p.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, will deploy 23 new Starlink satellites into lower Earth orbit.
About eight minutes after liftoff, the first-stage booster is expected to return to Earth and land on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions. This landing will take place off the coast of Exuma, rather than in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, as is typical for previous missions.
SpaceX warned that residents and visitors in the Bahamas might hear one or more sonic booms during the landing, depending on weather conditions and other factors.
The launch will be the 16th flight for the first-stage booster, which has already been part of nine previous Starlink missions. The company’s reuse of boosters has significantly reduced the cost and turnaround time of its missions, compared to past NASA flights that used non-reusable first-stage boosters.
All aspects of the Florida launch and the landing off the coast of the Bahamas are subject to weather and other conditions. The mission is being carefully regulated and monitored by both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Bahamas (CAAB).
This historic landing will be visible to audiences worldwide through SpaceX’s website at www.spacex.com/launches, as well as on the Bahamas Tourism Today Facebook page, offering a front-row seat to this groundbreaking event. The Bahamas will be the exclusive location for this international milestone, highlighting the country’s unique position as the only place where the public can witness Falcon 9 booster landings from an optimal vantage point.
