r/spacex•5 yr. ago

Starlink General Discussion and Deployment Thread #3

This will now be used as a campaign thread for Starlink launches. You can find the most important details about a upcoming launch in the section below.

This thread can be also used for other small Starlink-related matters; for example, a new ground station, photos, questions, routine FCC applications, and the like.

Next Launch (Starlink V1.0-L28)

Liftoff currently scheduled for	May 26 18:59 UTC
Backup date	time gets earlier ~20-26 minutes every day
Static fire	TBA
Payload	? Starlink version 1 satellites , secondary payload expected
Payload mass	TBD
Deployment orbit	Low Earth Orbit, ~ 261 x 278 km 53° (TBC)
Vehicle	Falcon 9 v1.2 Block 5
Core	B1063.2
Past flights of this core	2
Launch site	SLC-40, Florida
Landing	Droneship: ~ (632 km downrange)

General Starlink Informations

Previous and Pending Starlink Missions

| Mission | Date (UTC) | Core | Pad | Deployment Orbit | Notes [Sat Update Bot] | | --- | --- | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | --- | :---: | Starlink v0.9 | 2019-05-24 | 1049.3 | SLC-40 | 440km 53° | 60 test satellites with Ku band antennas | Feb 22 | Starlink-1 | 2019-11-11 | 1048.4 | SLC-40 | 280km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites, v1.0 includes Ka band antennas | Feb 22 | Starlink-2 | 2020-01-07 | 1049.4 | SLC-40 | 290km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites, 1 sat with experimental antireflective coating | Feb 22 | Starlink-3 | 2020-01-29 | 1051.3 | SLC-40 | 290km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites | Feb 22 | Starlink-4 | 2020-02-17 | 1056.4 | SLC-40 | 212km x 386km 53° | 60 version 1, Change to elliptical deployment, Failed booster landing | Feb 22 | Starlink-5 | 2020-03-18 | 1048.5 | LC-39A |~ 210km x 390km 53°| 60 version 1, S1 early engine shutdown, booster lost post separation | - | Starlink-6 | 2020-04-22 | 1051.4 | LC-39A | ~ 210km x 390km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites | - | Starlink-7 | 2020-06-04 | 1049.5 | SLC-40 |~ 210km x 390km 53°|60 version 1 satellites, 1 sat with experimental sun-visor | - | Starlink-8 | 2020-06-13| 1059.3 | SLC-40 | ~ 210km x 390km 53°| 58 version 1 satellites with Skysat 16, 17, 18| - | Starlink-9 | 2020-08-07 | 1051.5 | LC-39A | 403km x 386km 53°| 57 version 1 satellites with BlackSky 7 & 8, all with sun-visor | - | Starlink-10 | 2020-08-18 | 1049.6 | SLC-40 | ~ 210km x 390km 53° | 58 version 1 satellites with SkySat 19, 20, 21 | - | Starlink-11 |2020-09-03 | 1060.2| LC-39A | ~ 210km x 360km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites | - | Starlink-12 |2020-10-06 | 1058.3| LC-39A | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites | - | Starlink-13 | 2020-10-18 | 1051.6| LC-39A | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink-14 | 2020-10-24 | 1060.3| SLC-40| ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites | - | Starlink-15 | 2020-11-25 | 1049.7 | SLC-40| ~ 213 x 366km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink-16 | 2021-01-20 | 1051.8| LC-39A | ~ 213 x 366km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Transporter-1 | 2021-01-24| 1058.5 | SLC-40 | ~ 525 x 525km 97° | 10 version 1 satellites Starlink-17 | 2021-03-04 | 1049.8 | LC-39A | ~ 213 x 366km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink-18 | 2021-02-04 | 1060.5| SLC-40 | ~ 213 x 366km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink-19 | 2021-02-16 | 1059.6 | SLC-40 | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites, 1st stage landing failed| - | Starlink-20 | 2021-03-11 | 1058.6 | SLC-40 | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink-21 | 2021-03-14 | 1051.9 | LC-39A | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink-22 | 2021-03-24 |1060.6| SLC-40 | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink-23 | 2021-04-07 |1058.7| SLC-40 | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink-24 | 2021-04-29 |1060.7| SLC-40 | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites, white paint thermal experiments| - | Starlink-25 | 2021-05-04 |1049.9| LC-39A | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink-26 | 2021-05-15 |1058.8| LC-39A | ~ 560 km 53° | 52 version 1 satellites , Capella & Tyvak rideshare| - | Starlink-27 | 2021-05-09 |1051.10| SLC-40 | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites, first 10th flight of a booster| - | Starlink-28 | Upcoming May |1063.2| SLC-40 | ~261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - |

^(Daily Starlink altitude updates on Twitter ) ^@StarlinkUpdates ^(available a few days following deployment.)

Starlink Versions

Starlink V0.9

The first batch of starlink sats launched in the new starlink formfactor. Each sat had a launch mass of 227kg. They have only a Ku-band antenna installed on the sat. Many of them are now being actively deorbited

Starlink V1.0

The upgraded productional batch of starlink sats ,everyone launched since Nov 2019 belongs to this version. Upgrades include a Ka-band antenna. The launch mass increased to ~260kg.

Starlink DarkSat

Darksat is a prototype with a darker coating on the bottom to reduce reflectivity, launched on Starlink V1.0-L2. Due to reflection in the IR spectrum and stronger heating, this approach was no longer pursued

Starlink VisorSat

VisorSat is SpaceX's currently approach to solve the reflection issue when the sats have reached their operational orbit. The first prototype was launched on Starlink V1.0-L7 in June. Starlink V1.0-L9 will be the first launch with every sat being an upgraded VisorSat

Links & Resources

Regulatory Resources:

FCC Experimental STAs - r/SpaceX wiki
General Starlink FCC filing discussion - NASASpaceflight Forums

Starlink Tracking/Viewing Resources:

We will attempt to keep the above text regularly updated with resources and new mission information, but for the most part, updates will appear in the comments first. Feel free to ping us if additions or corrections are needed. Approximately 24 hours before liftoff of a Starlink, a launch thread will go live and the party will begin there.

This is not a party-thread Normal subreddit rules still apply.

Posted Mar 24, 2021, 10:53 PM UTC · edited

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