Launch Preview: Falcon 9, Spectrum, Electron to launch during busy week of launches

Another busy launch manifest is scheduled for this week, with nine launches expected from various providers and launch sites around the world. As usual, SpaceX is expected to dominate the week with five missions, all of which are Starlink missions.

Internationally, Rocket Lab is set to launch an Earth observation satellite on Electron from New Zealand, while Isar Aerospace looks to reach orbit with the second test flight of its Spectrum rocket from Norway. A Chinese rocket also launched a rideshare mission with eight payloads early on Monday.

The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) launched the first mission of the week atop its Kuaizhou 11 rocket from Site 95A at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China. Carrying a rideshare payload of eight satellites to a Sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), the Kuaizhou 11 lifted off at 04:12 UTC on Monday, March 16.