SpaceX is set to launch a batch of 23 Starlink satellites into orbit for its space-based internet service. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellites will take off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The liftoff is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. EST (2235 UTC).

Originally, SpaceX had announced a four-hour launch window starting at 4 p.m. EST (2100 UTC), but due to the need to clear the way for the inaugural launch of United Launch Alliance's Vulcan rocket, the new target launch time was shifted to 5:35 p.m. EST. This change in schedule left SpaceX crews racing against time, as the rocket was raised upright on the launch pad at around 1 p.m. EST.

The mission will be covered live by Spaceflight Now, with their broadcast starting an hour before liftoff. Viewers can tune in for live views of the Falcon 9 through the Launch Pad Live stream.

This flight will mark the 16th launch for the first stage booster, tail number B1067, making it the fourth booster in SpaceX's fleet to reach this milestone. Notably, B1060, B1061, and B1067 have all had the honor of launching two Crew Dragon spacecraft each. B1080 is set to join this elite group later this month during its fifth flight with the Axiom Mission 3 (Ax-3) astronauts aboard Crew Dragon Freedom.

Approximately eight-and-a-half minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster B1067 will make a landing on the droneship 'A Shortfall of Gravitas.' If successful, this will mark the 56th successful booster landing on ASOG since its deployment. The other East Coast-based droneship, 'Just Read the Instructions,' is currently undergoing servicing in North Carolina and is unavailable for use.

Looking ahead, the next upcoming SpaceX mission is the Starlink 7-10 flight, scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base on Tuesday, January 9. However, the number of Starlink satellites onboard and whether there will be any equipped with direct-to-cell functionality has not been announced.

In other news, SpaceX founder Elon Musk has hinted at an impending company talk to SpaceX employees, where he will discuss the company's accomplishments in 2023 and provide updates on the Starship rocket. Musk suggested that this talk could take place on Thursday, January 11. If it materializes, it will be the first major update on the Starship program since the second integrated flight test in November.

Recent activities at the development and launch site have been garnering attention. SpaceX conducted test firings of both Ship 28 and Booster 10, referred to as the Flight 3 Starship and Flight 3 Super Heavy Booster respectively. Additionally, a payload bay door test on the Starship has sparked speculation that the next mission may include a payload.

This news coincides with NASA's announcement of a media teleconference to discuss the latest on the Artemis program and the return of humans to the Moon. The conference will be led by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and will have participation from key NASA officials and industry representatives. Whether the conference will involve SpaceX or Axiom Space, the developer of the lunar spacesuits for the Artemis 3 mission, is yet to be confirmed.