This Week in Launch: Another week of more SpaceX and Chinese launches

After a few weeks of featuring at least one big name launch that makes writing these articles easy, we’re back to more standard communication satellites. Two launches from SpaceX are on the schedule with a third possible over the weekend. China, not to be left out is also scheduled for a Long March 5 with an unknown payload on top.

This week’s launches:

• February 20 (Tuesday)
  • SpaceX | Falcon 9 | Merah Putih 2 | 3:11 P.M. ET
    • SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florda
• February 21 (Wednesday)
  • SpaceX | Falcon 9 | Starlink Group 7-15 | 8:24 P.M. PT
    • SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
• February 23 (Friday)
  • CASC | Long March 5 | Unknown Payload | 6:30 A.M. ET
    • LC-101, Wenchang Space Launch Site, China
• February 24 (Saturday)
  • SpaceX | Falcon 9 | Starlink Group 6-39 | TBD
    • SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

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Starship IFT-3 when?

Who said I had to talk about the launches taking place this week in this series?

Last week we saw the start of full stack testing for SpaceX’s third Starship test flight or IFT-3. While most test aborted before completing a full wet dress rehearsal, it’s the very beginning of the IFT-3 flight campaign.

Booster 10 was rolled out to the launch site last weekend, this could be the only time it’s rolled out and the only way for it to leave is by launching. Shortly after, Starship 28 was rolled down the highway and positioned next to Booster 10 at the orbital launch pad.

There are still a long list of tests and milestones that SpaceX will have to hit before we’re ready to say IFT-3 will be launching soon. First, a full wet dress rehearsal is needed like the previous launches and given how often they scrub now, more than one is likely to be expected.

Finally, SpaceX will need a modification to Starship’s launch license from the FAA. In a statement given to NSF, SpaceX has yet to complete its mishap investigation and provide the administration with the required information to sign off on another launch. This isn’t unheard of, SpaceX only finished up the IFT-1 mishap investigation weeks before IFT-2 launched, so I’d expect the same here.