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SpaceX F9 - Starlink Group 4-17 - LC-39A

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Grendal

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Jan 31, 2012
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Launch Date: May 6
Launch Window: 5:51am EDT (2:51 am PDT, 09:51 UTC)
Launch site: LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Core Booster Recovery: ASDS - ASOG
Booster: B1058.12
Fairings: Reused
Mass: 53 satellites - 15.6 tonnes
Orbit: LEO

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 44th group of satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 4-17.

This will be SpaceX's 18th orbital launch of the year.
 
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Another 12 launch life leader after this touches down (the fleet's third life leader).

Looks like the oldest booster still in operation, B1049, will be jettisoned after its next use (sniff). Interestingly while it will be an eleventh launch, it'll be for a commercial customer rather than a Starlink mission. That might be a record for most flight proven rocket launching a non-Starlink mission.

B1049 is expected to be expended on its next flight with recent sightings of the booster showing that all of its recovery equipment has been removed. This booster is expected to be used for the second O3b mPOWER mission, currently scheduled for launch in the summer. Expending the booster will allow Falcon 9 rocket to put the customer’s satellites closer to their final orbit, allowing them to enter operations faster and with the use of less of their own propellant. (from SpaceX sets new booster reuse record on Starlink mission - NASASpaceFlight.com)
 
If there is a customer that wants its satellite go further and faster and stay in orbit longer, No ProblemO. SpaceX has end of life boosters that are ready to do a kamikaze mission and give up their lives in the ocean. :D

Yep, while all existing boosters are the "same" block 5 design, I have little doubt they made tweaks along the way even so. Meaning that B1049 was probably near retirement age anyways. SpaceX, of course, has detailed data on each booster based on refurbishment inspections, so they have an idea when its time to pack it in.
 
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Just catching up on this launch and noticed that starting at around T+3:42 during booster reentry there were sprays of ice coming off the booster and then a bit later the bottom of the booster was continuously glowing with lots of debris floating slowly around it. It looked unlike any other mission that I’ve seen. It almost looked like it was underwater. Very odd.
 

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The Twilight Phenomenon. Rocket is illuminated with sunlight, when earth below is still at night. Mornings in East Coast e.g trajectory points ~East and evenings at West Coast.
There were particles (must be ice) around the rocket that looked like they were floating but the rocket was moving at over 7,000kmh. It looked like the particles were moving very slowly so they were basically the same speed as the rocket.

So as you noted, the timing of this launch was such that the rocket was illuminated but the Earth below it was in darkness, meaning the camera view showed a dark background and an illuminated foreground which gave us an unusually clear view of ice particles falling off the vehicle, and since it was at over 100km at apogee there was no atmospheric drag to effect the ice particles.

Pretty cool!
 
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