SpaceX F9 - Starlink Group 2-4 - SLC-4E

[Grendal]

Launch Date: January 19
Launch Window: 7:23:10am PST (10:23:10am EST, 15:23:10 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
Core Booster Recovery: ASDS (OCISLY)
Booster: B1075.1
Fairings: Reused
Mass: 51 Starlink satellites
Orbit: LEO
Yearly Launch Number: 5th

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 65th group of satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 2-4. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean. This batch is the second launch of Starlink satellites headed for the 2nd shell of Starlink's first generation constellation. This shell is planned to be comprised of 36 orbital planes with 20 satellites per plane for a total of 720 satellites. The satellites in this shell will be located at a roughly 570km circular orbit and at a 70º orbital inclination. For this mission, Falcon 9 will likely carry 52 satellites into a 310x320km 70º orbit. From here the satellites will then raise their orbits to operational altitude.

The premiere launch of B1075!

 

[Grendal]

 

[Grendal]

Updated to ??

 

[Grendal]

Updated to November 30th - maybe. 56th launch of the year - maybe

 

[Cosmacelf]

It’s been an odd year. Normally Florida launches get a lot of scrubs due to hurricane weather, but SpaceX hasn’t been affected all that much on the east coast. Meanwhile, the west coast has barely been used (or so it seems).

 

[Grendal]

It’s been an odd year. Normally Florida launches get a lot of scrubs due to hurricane weather, but SpaceX hasn’t been affected all that much on the east coast. Meanwhile, the west coast has barely been used (or so it seems).

The West Coast hasn't gotten much love since the Iridium launches were finished.

This year:
West Coast: 11 launches. East Coast: LC-39A 16 launches/SLC-40 27 launches

So not too bad.

 

[bxr140]

The West Coast hasn't gotten much love since the Iridium launches were finished.

Yeah, there's basically very little demand for polar launches, and the fact that SX can go polar from Florida doesn't make that any better. Obviously there's internal demand for the starlink polar shell (8 of the 11 vandy launches this year were starlink), but not much beyond that...that's because pretty much the only thing polar is good for is a) imaging satellites and b) servicing the very low demand of very high latitudes. ...and even with imaging we're seeing a potential shift away from "always has to be sun synch" with Planet's Skysat launches a few years ago and the upcoming Legion launch early next year.

Oneweb's [poorly designed] constellation is polar so we might see their Falcon launches on the western range, though that should be a light load for Falcon so SX might lean toward the Miami flight path unless there's a bottleneck/throughput problem with 40+39. (Which could very well be the case, given that starlink needs a to get a bunch of V2-ish sats launched and obviously Starship isn't going to be ready anytime soon)

It's also worth noting that we're still in a world where launch demand really isn't making any step function moves as a result of better launch pricing from Falcon 9. That's because launch cost still really isn't a major driver for deploying space infrastructure until it becomes a mega-constellation, and (as evidence by Lightspeed's folding) the massive cost of a mega constellation is its own barrier to entry. This is going to manifest as a bit of a red ocean problem for the new heavies (NG, Neutron, TerranR, etc.), and also helps explain the relative lack of technological progress from next generation heavies from ULA and Ariane and Mitsubishi--companies who can generally stay afloat on their respective government dimes.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Looks like this is back on the manifest for this Monday according to NextSpaceFlight, along with a different booster!

Falcon 9 Block 5 | Starlink Group 2-4

SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket with Starlink Group 2-4 from SLC-4E, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA.

nextspaceflight.com

 

[Grendal]

Looks like this is back on the manifest for this Monday according to NextSpaceFlight, along with a different booster!

Yes. First post updated with current info.

 

[Grendal]

First post updated! Brand new booster.

 

[Cosmacelf]

First post updated! Brand new booster.

That might be a first. Using a new booster for a Starlink mission!

 

[adiggs]

That might be a first. Using a new booster for a Starlink mission!

Gotta put it through its paces.

Everybody knows that flight proven hardware is better

 

[MyJoule]

This launch seems to be jinked, SpaceX stood down again - I see the first post has been updated with the new target date of Jan 15th 2023.

 

[Cosmacelf]

“Constellation optimization”. SpaceX delays Starlink launch to Sunday for "constellation optimization"

 

[ecarfan]

Stream hasn’t started yet. Another reschedule for this mission?

 

[ecarfan]

Stream has started.

 

[ecarfan]

All systems norminal! Very smooth. 166th successful booster landing.

 

[RichardL]

Is there a way to know the heading of the launch? - this was not visible from San Diego, so I assume it pointed more westerley so was far offshore. There was a recent launch (November I think) where it must have been much more due South and was clearly visible high in the sky.

If the initial heading (I guess that is related to inclination of orbit?) was published it would help knowing where it might be visible. Do any Vandenberg launches actually go north?

 

[Grendal]

Is there a way to know the heading of the launch? - this was not visible from San Diego, so I assume it pointed more westerley so was far offshore. There was a recent launch (November I think) where it must have been much more due South and was clearly visible high in the sky.

If the initial heading (I guess that is related to inclination of orbit?) was published it would help knowing where it might be visible. Do any Vandenberg launches actually go north?

There are various people on the internet that tracks everything associated with SpaceX. Here is one that is posted in the Wiki page for SpaceX located in this section. The Raul maps show that there has never been a launch to the north. There was only one that went almost straight west though. Straight north would have the launch go over land - which is against the rules for any country that cares about their citizenry. China has at least one launch site that is notorious for having pieces of rocket land where people are located.

Wiki - Learn About SpaceX: Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Data Links

SpaceX = Space Exploration Technologies, Inc. List of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches - Wikipedia ASDS = autonomous spaceport drone ship Autonomous spaceport drone ship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia JRTI = Just Read the Instructions, the first of the ASDS fleet. Rebuilt and moved to...

teslamotorsclub.com

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1wvgFIPuOmI8da9EIB88tHo9vamo&hl=en_US&ll=31.82125105946547%2C-121.91931718112295&z=6

 

[Cosmacelf]

This was the mysteriously often delayed 2-4 batch of Starlinks. I do wonder if there was a secret additional payload on it.