SpaceX is gearing up for an action-packed weekend, as it prepares for a pair of planned Falcon 9 launches and the undocking of the Crew Dragon Endurance from the International Space Station (ISS). The first launch, known as the Starlink 6-43 mission, will take place from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The liftoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EDT (2305 UTC) and is expected to add 23 Starlink satellites to the ever-growing low Earth orbit constellation.

According to the 45th Weather Squadron, the launch weather forecast predicts a greater than 95 percent chance of favorable weather conditions at liftoff, with no additional risk criteria identified. Spaceflight Now will be providing live coverage of the event, beginning approximately one hour prior to liftoff. Notably, this mission marks the 11th launch for the first stage booster with the tail number B1077. Previously, this booster was responsible for the Crew-5 mission, the Commercial Resupply Services 28 (CRS-28) mission, and the Northrop Grumman 20 (NG-20) Cygnus flight to the ISS.

In addition to the Starlink 6-43 mission, SpaceX is also working closely with NASA on the upcoming launch of the first second-generation Cargo Dragon spacecraft, which is destined for the ISS. Although an official launch date has yet to be announced, it is known that the launch will occur from SLC-40 and will utilize the new crew access tower for the first time.

Furthermore, while focusing on the Starlink 6-43 mission and preparations for the subsequent Starlink 7-17 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, SpaceX is collaborating with NASA to bring back the quartet of astronauts from the Crew-7 mission currently on the ISS. The undocking of the Crew Dragon Endurance is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. EDT (1505 UTC) on Monday, March 11, with a splashdown anticipated for around 5:35 a.m. EDT (0935 UTC) on Tuesday, March 12.

This weekend promises to be a busy and exciting time for SpaceX as they continue to push the boundaries of space exploration and technology, forging new paths and achieving remarkable milestones along the way.