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SpaceX F9 - Starlink V1.0-L23 - SLC-40

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Grendal

Grendal

SpaceX Moderator
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Jan 31, 2012
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#1
Launch Date: April 7
Launch Window: 1634 GMT (12:34 p.m. EDT)
Launch site: SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida
Core Booster Recovery: ASDS - OCISLY
Booster: B1058-7
Fairings: Reused - 1st fourth time reuse for a fairing
Mass: 60 satellites at 260 kg each - 15,600 kg (34,500 lbs)
Orbit: LEO

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the 24th batch of approximately 60 satellites for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband network, a mission designated Starlink V1.0-L23.
 
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#2
Since they lost that booster (B1059), they've had to scramble. They actually had to ship a booster that was waiting to launch from Vandenburg to Florida to do more launches. That might be the booster for this launch (B1063). SpaceX sure is running lean!

Edit: one day, boosters will be able to fly themselves from launchpad to launchpad without needing to be trucked...
 
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#3
SpaceX has lost 3 Block 5 boosters unintentionally: B1048-5, B1056-4, and B1059-6. They all performed their primary mission and were lost in the recovery phase. I am excluding FH cores.

SpaceX has 3 cores that are spoken for and awaiting their official government reuse: B1061-2 (Crew 2), B1062-2 (GPS III), and B1063-2 (NASA science mission). Once those are reused by the government agencies then they should be freed up for other SpaceX launches. I can only see the NASA science booster being held for another NASA launch possibly.

Which leaves the SpaceX workhorses of B1049 (at 9 launches), B1051 (at 9 launches and heading for 10), B1058 (at 6 launches, and B1060 (also at 6).

There are the two Block 5 FH side boosters that were flown twice and are still sitting around almost two years: B1052 and B1053. Maybe SpaceX is holding onto these for a future FH fully expendable launch.

Lastly, SpaceX has an entirely new FH built for an upcoming military launch (USSF-44) this year.

So, yes, SpaceX is very thin on F9 boosters with two of their workhorses reaching their possible refurbishment dates. SpaceX could use about two or three more boosters to keep the rapid launch turnaround times going.
 
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#4
Grendal said:
SpaceX has lost 3 Block 5 boosters unintentionally: B1048-5, B1056-4, and B1059-6. They all performed their primary mission and were lost in the recovery phase. I am excluding FH cores.

SpaceX has 3 cores that are spoken for and awaiting their official government reuse: B1061-2 (Crew 2), B1062-2 (GPS III), and B1063-2 (NASA science mission). Once those are reused by the government agencies then they should be freed up for other SpaceX launches. I can only see the NASA science booster being held for another NASA launch possibly.

Which leaves the SpaceX workhorses of B1049 (at 9 launches), B1051 (at 9 launches and heading for 10), B1058 (at 6 launches, and B1060 (also at 60.

There are the two Block 5 FH side boosters that were flown twice and are still sitting around almost two years: B1052 and B1053. Maybe SpaceX is holding onto these for a future FH fully expendable launch.

Lastly, SpaceX has an entirely new FH built for an upcoming military launch (USSF-44) this year.

So, yes, SpaceX is very thin on F9 boosters with two of their workhorses reaching their possible refurbishment dates. SpaceX could use about two or three more boosters to keep the rapid launch turnaround times going.
Click to expand...
While B1063 has been spoken for, I think the mission is delayed, and isn’t that the booster that is en route to Florida?
 
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#5
Cosmacelf said:
While B1063 has been spoken for, I think the mission is delayed, and isn’t that the booster that is en route to Florida?
Click to expand...
Not that I am aware of. I'd think it's unlikely since NASA has "reserved" that booster for DART. Maybe SpaceX worked out an alternative deal for something else though. SpaceX does have a very good relationship with NASA. Maybe use it for CRS-22 in June? That's a NASA launch too. That would make some sense.
 
#6
Grendal said:
SpaceX is very thin on F9 boosters with two of their workhorses reaching their possible refurbishment dates. SpaceX could use about two or three more boosters to keep the rapid launch turnaround times going.
Click to expand...
So do you think that Starship will take over many of the Falcon duties?
Edit: How many Starlink satellites could Starship launch? I could look it up, I guess :)
 
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#8
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#9
I'll bet it waits for CRS-22. I don't see NASA using a 4+ reused booster for a CRS launch. Now that SpaceX is done with the new FH then that should free up the Hawthorne booster building workforce for new standard B5 F9 boosters. They will probably need another FH core for a later military FH launch this year though.

ICUDoc...
Starship and Super Heavy have quite a ways to go before they are reliable enough to take over F9 launch duties. We'll see a lot more prototypes before we see them get stable enough to carry valuable payloads. I would expect a Starlink payload before any other official payloads.
 
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#10
Grendal said:
I'll bet it waits for CRS-22. I don't see NASA using a 4+ reused booster for a CRS launch. Now that SpaceX is done with the new FH then that should free up the Hawthorne booster building workforce for new standard B5 F9 boosters. They will probably need another FH core for a later military FH launch this year though.

ICUDoc...
Starship and Super Heavy have quite a ways to go before they are reliable enough to take over F9 launch duties. We'll see a lot more prototypes before we see them get stable enough to carry valuable payloads. I would expect a Starlink payload before any other official payloads.
Click to expand...
B1061 is planned for CRS-22 isn’t it?

en.wikipedia.org

List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

I suspect they are building a brand new booster for DART now.
 
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#11
Cosmacelf said:
B1061 is planned for CRS-22 isn’t it?

en.wikipedia.org

List of Falcon 9 first-stage boosters - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

I suspect they are building a brand new booster for DART now.
Click to expand...
B1061 is planned for Crew 2. It's more than a month later, so it could be used for a third launch with CRS-22. Turnaround time seems to run about a little more than a month lately.

I wouldn't be surprised that a new booster is picked up for DART.
 
#14
e-FTW said:
Wikipedia lists 1058 as assigned to this mission.
It would tie their current record for turnaround time at 27 days (1060 on Starlink 18).
Click to expand...
Thanks for the assist. Here is a statement from SpaceX about the launch:
1617765456896.png
 
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#18
Seeing CAVU sky conditions, I was hoping that ground tracking camera would do a better job locking onto the booster for the re-entry burn. Nevertheless, successful booster landing. Just slightly off the centerline, but still well within the circle.

Looking forward to SpaceX announcing the official launch date for Starlink V1.0-L24. @Cosmacelf and I will be following closely. Of course it will most likely be right around 4/20, SLC-40, with booster 1051! :cool:

4/22 is the scheduled launch date for Crew 2 from Pad 39A. Not sure if it's rumor or fact, but still a funny story. NASA was originally good with launching Crew 2 on 4/20.
www.space.com

SpaceX, NASA target April 20 for next Crew Dragon launch to space station

Mark your calendar!
www.space.com www.space.com
They got spooked by Elon's previous playful takes on 420, so SpaceX voluntarily agreed with NASA to change the date.
 
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