SpaceX F9 - Starlink Group 5-7 - SLC-4E

[Grendal]

Launch Date: June 22
Launch Window: 12:17am PDT (3:17am EDT, 07:17am UTC)
Launch site: SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California
Core Booster Recovery: ASDS - OCISLY
Booster: B1075.4
Fairings: Reused - 3rd time each
Mass: 47 v1.5 Starlinks
Orbit: SSO - Polar LEO
Yearly Launch Number: 42

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 88th group of satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 5-7. The Starlink Group 5-7 mission is headed to the 43º inclination shell of Starlink's second generation constellation. Satellites in this shell will be orbiting Earth in a 540km circular orbit at 43º inclination. This mission will carry 47 satellites into a 320x340km 43º orbit and from there they'll raise their orbits to operational altitude.

 

[Cosmacelf]

It's interesting that Starlink is now populating the 43 degree shell. This will bunch up satellites over the mid US latitudes which is where Starlink has the worst congestion.

 

[bxr140]

43° is a bit low on its own, but the 53° shell provides cover. The nice thing about decreasing latitude is that as the orbit's 'sine wave' gets progressively flatter (= more east west) each satellite can spend progressively more % of its orbit in a peak-ish latitude range.

Recent enough data (2018):

As previously discussed ROW is much less relevant for Starlink, but this is useful data all the same. China and India bring the heavy latitudes down.

If you dig pixelated graphics and want to see gameboy-like animations on density, get your fix here.

 

[Grendal]

 

[MyJoule]

Some new views were made available on the SpaceX twitter feed. Interesting they gave us views inside the interstage before separation

Also, noticed a piece of tape or something came loose in the interstage when the 2nd stage ignited- Hadn't seen that before

 

[ecarfan]

Also, noticed a piece of tape or something came loose in the interstage when the 2nd stage ignited- Hadn't seen that before

I noticed that too. I wonder what the purpose that strip of foil serves?

Also heard the host say that the fairing halves will be recovered by SpaceX vessel “Go Beyond”. That’s a new name to me.

 

[Grendal]

I noticed that too. I wonder what the purpose that strip of foil serves?

We see the top of the booster get hit in the plume of the second stage ignition over a hundred times. I'd bet that is some extra protection for the exhaust. Another possibility is that tape is for some aspect of stage separation. Maybe a shim of some sort....

 

[ecarfan]

Just watched Scott Manley’s latest Deep Space update video and he noted that this launch to a 43º inclination was the lowest inclination that SpaceX had every done from Vandenburg, and required the 2nd stage to make a 10º dogleg, which he said was “very impressive”.