Starlink General Discussion and Deployment Thread #5
This thread is no longer being updated, and has been replaced by:
Starlink General Discussion and Deployment Thread #6
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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.
Upcoming Launches
The launches for the first shell are now completed. We are currently in a hiatus between launches.
We expect future Starlink launches from both the West coast (Vandenberg SLC-4E) and the East coast (SLC-40 and LC-39A). West coast launches are thought to be for the 70° shell and East coast launches for the 53.2° shell, based on FCC filings.
| Liftoff currently scheduled for | TBA |
|---|---|
| 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 | ? |
| Past flights of this core | ? |
| Launch site | ? |
| Landing | Droneship: ~ (632 km downrange) |
General Starlink Informations
Starlink Shells
| Shell # | Inclination | Altitude | Planes | Satellites/plane | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shell 1 | 53° | 550km | 72 | 22 | 1584 |
| Shell 2 | 53.2° | 540km | 72 | 22 | 1584 |
| Shell 3 | 70° | 570km | 36 | 20 | 720 |
| Shell 4 | 97.6° | 560km | 6 | 58 | 348 |
| Shell 5 | 97.6° | 560km | 4 | 43 | 172 |
| Total | 4408 |
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 V1.0-L1 | 2019-11-11 | 1048.4 | SLC-40 | 280km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites, v1.0 includes Ka band antennas | Feb 22 | Starlink V1.0-L2 | 2020-01-07 | 1049.4 | SLC-40 | 290km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites, 1 sat with experimental antireflective coating | Feb 22 | Starlink V1.0-L3 | 2020-01-29 | 1051.3 | SLC-40 | 290km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites | Feb 22 | Starlink V1.0-L4 | 2020-02-17 | 1056.4 | SLC-40 | 212km x 386km 53° | 60 version 1, Change to elliptical deployment, Failed booster landing | Feb 22 | Starlink V1.0-L5 | 2020-03-18 | 1048.5 | LC-39A |~ 210km x 390km 53°| 60 version 1, S1 early engine shutdown, booster lost post separation | - | Starlink V1.0-L6 | 2020-04-22 | 1051.4 | LC-39A | ~ 210km x 390km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites | - | Starlink V1.0-L7 | 2020-06-04 | 1049.5 | SLC-40 |~ 210km x 390km 53°|60 version 1 satellites, 1 sat with experimental sun-visor | - | Starlink V1.0-L8 | 2020-06-13| 1059.3 | SLC-40 | ~ 210km x 390km 53°| 58 version 1 satellites with Skysat 16, 17, 18| - | Starlink V1.0-L9 | 2020-08-07 | 1051.5 | LC-39A | 403km x 386km 53°| 57 version 1 satellites with BlackSky 7 & 8, all with sun-visor | - | Starlink V1.0-L10 | 2020-08-18 | 1049.6 | SLC-40 | ~ 210km x 390km 53° | 58 version 1 satellites with SkySat 19, 20, 21 | - | Starlink V1.0-L11 |2020-09-03 | 1060.2| LC-39A | ~ 210km x 360km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites | - | Starlink V1.0-L12 |2020-10-06 | 1058.3| LC-39A | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites | - | Starlink V1.0-L13 | 2020-10-18 | 1051.6| LC-39A | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink V1.0-L14 | 2020-10-24 | 1060.3| SLC-40| ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites | - | Starlink V1.0-L15 | 2020-11-25 | 1049.7 | SLC-40| ~ 213 x 366km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink V1.0-L16 | 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 V1.0-L18 | 2021-02-04 | 1060.5| SLC-40 | ~ 213 x 366km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink V1.0-L19 | 2021-02-16 | 1059.6 | SLC-40 | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites, 1st stage landing failed| - | Starlink V1.0-L17 | 2021-03-04 | 1049.8 | LC-39A | ~ 213 x 366km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink V1.0-L20 | 2021-03-11 | 1058.6 | SLC-40 | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink V1.0-L21 | 2021-03-14 | 1051.9 | LC-39A | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink V1.0-L22 | 2021-03-24 | 1060.6 | SLC-40 | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink V1.0-L23 | 2021-04-07 | 1058.7 | SLC-40 | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink V1.0-L24 | 2021-04-29 | 1060.7 | SLC-40 | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites, white paint thermal experiments| - | Starlink V1.0-L25 | 2021-05-04 | 1049.9 | LC-39A | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites| - | Starlink V1.0-L27 | 2021-05-09 | 1051.10 | SLC-40 | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites, first 10th flight of a booster| - | Starlink V1.0-L26 | 2021-05-15 | 1058.8 | LC-39A | ~ 560 km 53° | 52 version 1 satellites , Capella & Tyvak rideshare| - | Starlink V1.0-L28 | 2021-05-26 | 1063.2 | SLC-40 | ~ 261 x 278 km 53° | 60 version 1 satellites | - | Transporter-2 | 2021-06-30| 1060.8 | SLC-40 | ~ 525 x 525km 97° | 3 version 1 satellites | - | Starlink 2-1 | NET 2021-09-13 | 1049.10 | SLC-4E | ? km 70° | 51 version 1.5 satellites | - | Starlink V1.0-L29 | NET September | unknown | SLC-40 | ? km 53.2° | 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 2020. Starlink V1.0-L9 will be the first launch with every sat being an upgraded VisorSat
Starlink V1.5
These satellites include laser links to other satellites. Prototype lasers were launched to polar orbits on Transporter 1 & 2 with production launches beginning with Starlink 2-1.
Links & Resources
- Regulatory Resources:
- FCC Experimental STAs - r/SpaceX wiki
- General Starlink FCC filing discussion - NASASpaceflight Forums
- Starlink Tracking/Viewing Resources:
- Celestrak.com - u/TJKoury
- Flight Club Pass Planner - u/theVehicleDestroyer
- Heavens Above
- n2yo.com
- findstarlink - Pass Predictor and sat tracking - u/cmdr2
- SatFlare
- See A Satellite Tonight - Starlink - u/modeless
- Starlink Constellation Animations - u/langgesagt
- Starlink orbit raising daily updates - u/hitura-nobad
- Supplemental TLE - Celestrak
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.
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Posted Jul 24, 2021, 10:53 PM UTC · edited