SpaceX F9 - Starlink Group 6-39 - SLC-40

Launch Date: February 25
Launch Window: 4:59 pm EST (1:59 pm PST, 21:59 UTC)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, CCSFS, Florida
Core Booster Recovery: ASDS - ASOG
Booster: B1069.13
Fairings: Reused
Mass: 24 Starlink 2.0 mini Satellites
Orbit: LEO
Yearly Launch Number: 18

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 141st group of satellites (67th of 2nd generation) for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink 6-39. The Starlink Group 6-39 mission is a V2 mini launch to their second generation constellation.

The Starlink Group 6-39 mission is headed to the 43º inclination shell of Starlink's second generation constellation. Satellites in this shell will be orbiting Earth in a 530km circular orbit at 43º inclination. This mission will carry 23 Starlink v2 Mini satellites into a 344x353km 43° orbit and from there they'll raise their orbits to operational altitude.

 

[Grendal]

 

[Grendal]

And......success!

 

[MyJoule]

That was a real Bulls Eye landing too...

 

[Cosmacelf]

That was a real Bulls Eye landing too...

They seem to be getting better and better. Maybe updated ship thrusters or something.

 

[ICUDoc]

Bullseye!
Great video all the way down

Does anyone remember seeing a vapour cone via the booster camera view during any of the reentries we have watched? I know we hear a sonic boom sometimes but it seems to go unnoticed on the booster itself- no extra rocking or anything?

 

[ecarfan]

SpaceX seems to have stopped using the MVac stiffener ring.

 

[ecarfan]

Does anyone remember seeing a vapour cone via the booster camera view during any of the reentries we have watched?

No I do not recall that. Are you saying that you saw that during booster re-entry on this mission? I didn’t.

 

[scaesare]

Oh... you guys watch these still?

 

[ecarfan]

Oh... you guys watch these still?

While I used to watch every launch, I will confess that now I do not watch Starlink launches and sometimes do not even watch the high points afterwards. Which says something about how reliable and routine F9 launches have become, which is a good thing.

 

[scaesare]

Samesies.

I watch FH's still for the most part. And if there's something notable abou the launch or somebody highlights something cool... but my virtual yawn is a testament to SpeceX...

 

[ICUDoc]

No I do not recall that. Are you saying that you saw that during booster re-entry on this mission? I didn’t.

No, I saw no such thing, but having just seen some F-22 videos, it suddenly made me think: why don't we see them on booster reentry?

 

[JB47394]

why don't we see them on booster reentry?

It requires a certain amount of humidity in the air. The vapor cone is a low pressure region that allows water vapor to condense. If there's not enough water vapor, there's no visible condensation.

Vapor cone - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[MyJoule]

Oh... you guys watch these still?

Most of the time, it's still like something out of a science fiction novel - I still am in awe each time the booster touches down. Of course I watched every space launch from the time I was 4 or so until the shuttle was regularly flying and I was a working adult.

 

[Grendal]

Most of the time, it's still like something out of a science fiction novel - I still am in awe each time the booster touches down. Of course I watched every space launch from the time I was 4 or so until the shuttle was regularly flying and I was a working adult.

I was in college and watched the Challenger explosion on TV as it happened. It was terrible.

 

[MyJoule]

I was in college and watched the Challenger explosion on TV as it happened. It was terrible.

I was at work that day and we didn't have a TV, but we had a VCR with a Tuner and a Monitor ( I was working on a video system for an Aerospace company) We managed to rig up the VCR to the monitor and watched the replay. I still get haunted watching that video

 

[scaesare]

I was in college and watched the Challenger explosion on TV as it happened. It was terrible.

For me it was grade school. One of the few unforgettable "you know exactly where you were" kind of events one has in their lifetime.

 

[Brass Guy]

Out at lunch when a co-worker saw it go. We didn't believe him then turned to see the replay on the establishment's TV.