SpaceX F9 - Starlink Group 4-20+Sherpa-LTC2 - SLC-40

[Grendal]

Launch Date: September 4
Launch Window: 8:32pm EDT (5:32pm PDT, 00:32 UTC on the 5th)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), Florida
Core Booster Recovery: ASDS
Booster: B1067.6
Fairings: Reused
Mass: 51 Starlink Satellites + Sherpa
Orbit: LEO
Yearly Launch Number: 40th

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 60th group of satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 4-20. This batch of satellites is headed to the 4th shell of the first generation constellation of Starlink which is comprised of about 72 orbital planes located at 540km in altitude and 53.2º of orbital inclination. Sherpa-LTC2 space tug's sole hosted payload will be Boeing's Varuna Technology Demonstration Mission, a pathfinder for a planned constellation of broadband satellites.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Isn’t that kind of an OG move to loft a broadband constellation pathfinder for someone else on a rideshare for your deep in production broadband constellation satellites? I’m just wondering why everyone else keeps soldiering on, unless it is just inertia until the investment money runs out.

 

[bxr140]

Isn’t that kind of an OG move to loft a broadband constellation pathfinder for someone else on a rideshare for your deep in production broadband constellation satellites?

On the surface, sure. Far more important is the self serving element. Its clear that megaconstellations are going to be the source of increasing scrutiny and regulations as time moves on, and as the existing megaconstellation SpaceX is currently the only entity impacted by all of that. Of course some of that scrutiny (to the chagrin of some folks here) is actually well intentioned and fair minded and should be properly assessed; some of that scrutiny is of course obstructionist targeting of SpaceX. Either way, SX gets the whole pie in face, every time.

In a world with more than one actually functioning broadband constellation, SpaceX will have an ally(ies)—in many cases a foreign ally, which is an important differentiation—in pushing back against scrutiny and regulations that result in downside impact. Detractors will no longer be able to frame that pushback as simply self serving SX nonsense; it will necessarily be something that comes from consensus across competitors.

And, of course, anyone targeting SpaceX has to be explicitly on board with taking down everyone, so hit jobs will become more complicated, especially if the “other” constellation(s) is a friendly to the unscrupulous actor.

I’m just wondering why everyone else keeps soldiering on, unless it is just inertia until the investment money runs out.

You mean, why don't they just let the monopoly happen?

Its quite self evident. Spectrum is an asset. Spectrum is beachfront property. To wit, even if you have only 50’ in Malibu you’re still sitting on something quite valuable, regardless if the billionaire down the coast happens to have 1000’.

Spectrum is also use it or lose it. If the others don’t get their constellations up on time, they lose their priority to operate within those frequencies, or at least as contemplated in their priority filings, and that’s essentially the same as burning money. As an asset that is clearly only going to appreciate over time, it makes a lot of business sense to sink money/effort into maintaining ownership, even if there’s no immediate financial upside. Again using the beachfront property analogy, if that billionaire sells for a mad profit, that raises the whole neighborhood's prices.

Spectrum is also something you 1) can’t make more of and 2) can always use more of. SX can’t make any more (TBF they are investigating higher frequencies…though that’s not a guaranteed win especially the really high frequencies, not dissimilar to claims vs reality of handheld mmWave) and so at some point they become spectrum limited in the amount of service they can offer. [Most of] The other constellations operate in difference frequencies and so, infrastructure willing (which obviously is the big roadblock), they can provide service ~proportional to the amount of spectrum they have vs Starlink.

 

[petit_bateau]

On the surface, sure. Far more important is the self serving element. Its clear that megaconstellations are going to be the source of increasing scrutiny and regulations as time moves on, and as the existing megaconstellation SpaceX is currently the only entity impacted by all of that. Of course some of that scrutiny (to the chagrin of some folks here) is actually well intentioned and fair minded and should be properly assessed; some of that scrutiny is of course obstructionist targeting of SpaceX. Either way, SX gets the whole pie in face, every time.

In a world with more than one actually functioning broadband constellation, SpaceX will have an ally(ies)—in many cases a foreign ally, which is an important differentiation—in pushing back against scrutiny and regulations that result in downside impact. Detractors will no longer be able to frame that pushback as simply self serving SX nonsense; it will necessarily be something that comes from consensus across competitors.

And, of course, anyone targeting SpaceX has to be explicitly on board with taking down everyone, so hit jobs will become more complicated, especially if the “other” constellation(s) is a friendly to the unscrupulous actor.



You mean, why don't they just let the monopoly happen?

Its quite self evident. Spectrum is an asset. Spectrum is beachfront property. To wit, even if you have only 50’ in Malibu you’re still sitting on something quite valuable, regardless if the billionaire down the coast happens to have 1000’.

Spectrum is also use it or lose it. If the others don’t get their constellations up on time, they lose their priority to operate within those frequencies, or at least as contemplated in their priority filings, and that’s essentially the same as burning money. As an asset that is clearly only going to appreciate over time, it makes a lot of business sense to sink money/effort into maintaining ownership, even if there’s no immediate financial upside. Again using the beachfront property analogy, if that billionaire sells for a mad profit, that raises the whole neighborhood's prices.

Spectrum is also something you 1) can’t make more of and 2) can always use more of. SX can’t make any more (TBF they are investigating higher frequencies…though that’s not a guaranteed win especially the really high frequencies, not dissimilar to claims vs reality of handheld mmWave) and so at some point they become spectrum limited in the amount of service they can offer. [Most of] The other constellations operate in difference frequencies and so, infrastructure willing (which obviously is the big roadblock), they can provide service ~proportional to the amount of spectrum they have vs Starlink.

All good points.

It is not just spectrum that is limited. So too are orbital slots. It is either my orbital shell or yours - it is difficult to play nicely. As with bandwidth that is quite a stable situation (as the relevant technology is quite a hard-link to the underlying physics). So landgrabs are very relevant.

Similarly the launch market is to a very great extent (but not as great as above) a zero sum game. At any one moment only one launcher is cheapest. That is a fuzzier thing (it is economics, not physics), but still relevant.

And all of this is of course not just an economic game, but THE defence & security game de jour.

(Which is of course why some of the other players are still in the game).

 

[Grendal]

 

[808?]

 

[MyJoule]

Bullseye on the landing. The continue to make it all look routine Turned SLC-40 pretty quickly too- I think it was just 7 days ago they launched from there.

 

[HVM]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1566611938414436352

Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, completing this orbital rocket booster’s 7th flight

https://twitter.com/x/status/1566633826339631104

Deployment of 51 Starlink satellites confirmed, completing SpaceX’s 40th mission so far this year!

 

[ecarfan]

Bullseye on the landing. The continue to make it all look routine

I think that was successful landing #140. Which is incredible.

And that track record is what leads me to believe that SpaceX will learn how to successfully land Super Heavy and Starship at Stage Zero after multiple practice ”soft” landings in the water to demonstrate the necessary accuracy and engine throttle control.