Question 1

What rocket is launching BlueBird 11-13 (Block 2 #6-8)?

Accepted Answer

BlueBird 11-13 (Block 2 #6-8) is launching on the Falcon 9 Block 5.

Question 2

Who is launching BlueBird 11-13 (Block 2 #6-8)?

Accepted Answer

BlueBird 11-13 (Block 2 #6-8) is being launched by SpaceX, a commercial launch provider founded in 2002.

Question 3

Where is BlueBird 11-13 (Block 2 #6-8) launching from?

Accepted Answer

BlueBird 11-13 (Block 2 #6-8) is launching from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.

Question 4

What orbit is BlueBird 11-13 (Block 2 #6-8) heading to?

Accepted Answer

BlueBird 11-13 (Block 2 #6-8) is heading to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Question 5

Is the Falcon 9 Block 5 reusable?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Falcon 9 Block 5 is designed to be reused, with boosters that can fly multiple missions.

Question 6

How many times has the Falcon 9 Block 5 flown?

Accepted Answer

The Falcon 9 Block 5 has launched 628 times to date, with 627 successful flights.

Question 7

What is the BlueBird 11-13 (Block 2 #6-8) mission?

Accepted Answer

AST SpaceMobile’s Block 2 BlueBird satellites are designed to deliver up to 10 times the bandwidth capacity of the BlueBird Block 1 satellites, required to achieve 24/7 continuous cellular broadband service coverage in the United States, with beams designed to support a capacity of up to 40 MHz, enabling peak data transmission speeds up to 120 Mbps, supporting voice, full data and video applications. The Block 2 BlueBirds, featuring as large as 2400 square foot communications arrays, will be the largest satellites ever commercially deployed in Low Earth orbit once launched.

This launch will feature 3 satellites.

Question 8

Where is Cape Canaveral Space Force Station?

Accepted Answer

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station sits on Florida's Atlantic coast, on the Eastern Range run by the U.S. Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45. It is the United States' busiest launch site and has been America's gateway to orbit since the 1950s.

Question 9

Which rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

SpaceX flies Falcon 9 from Space Launch Complex 40, and United Launch Alliance flies the Vulcan Centaur (and the retiring Atlas V) from Space Launch Complex 41.

Question 10

Is Cape Canaveral the same as the Kennedy Space Center?

Accepted Answer

No. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center are separate, neighbouring sites — Kennedy is on Merritt Island just to the north. Together they make up Florida's 'Space Coast'.

Question 11

Why do rockets launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Its pads sit on the Eastern Range, letting rockets fly east out over the Atlantic toward the equatorial and geostationary orbits most commercial and national-security payloads need, away from populated land.

Question 12

Can you watch a launch from Cape Canaveral?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the Space Coast is one of the easiest places in the world to watch a launch from public land. Popular free spots include Playalinda Beach, Space View Park in Titusville, and Jetty Park at Port Canaveral.

BlueBird 11-13 (Block 2 #6-8)

Overview

Mission details

Launch Window

Schedule Updates

Live coverage: SpaceX to launch 3 AST SpaceMobile BlueBird satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral

Photo gallery

Space Launch Complex 40

Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA

Frequently asked questions