SpaceX begins launching Starlink second generation constellation - NASASpaceFlight.com - NASASpaceflight.com

SpaceX launched a batch of 54 Starlink net satellites – Starlink Group 5-1 – into debased Earth orbit (LEO) this Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022. Liftoff occurred astatine 4:34 AM EST (09:34 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) astatine the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) successful Florida.

Starlink Group 5-1 is the archetypal formation dedicated to the 2nd procreation (Gen 2) Starlink constellation.  Previous flights person been filling the archetypal procreation (Gen 1) Starlink constellation, which SpaceX began launching successful May 2019. 

The authoritative upwind forecast from the 45th Weather Squadron astatine CCSFS called for a greater than 90% accidental of favorable upwind conditions connected the superior motorboat time and a 90% accidental of favorable upwind conditions connected the adjacent day. For further hazard criteria, the forecast showed a mean hazard of atrocious upwind conditions for booster betterment connected the superior motorboat day.

The Falcon 9 countdown for Wednesday’s motorboat followed the present accepted 35-minute-long automated propellant load sequence. At T-3 seconds the motor controller sent the ignition bid to each 9 Merlin 1D engines connected the archetypal signifier which ramped up to afloat powerfulness successful astir 2.8 seconds.

The rocket was past released astatine T0 by the motorboat clamps and began its ascent into orbit. The archetypal signifier for this mission, B1062, flew for the 11th clip and was the 5th booster to scope this mark. 

The booster fired its engines for the two-and-a-half infinitesimal ascent into adjacent space, aft which B1062 unopen down its engines and separated from the 2nd stage. After separation, it made a landing connected SpaceX’s Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship A Shortfall Of Gravitas which was located 660 km downrange eastbound of The Bahamas.

For this mission, the Falcon 9 motorboat trajectory went southeast and performed a dogleg maneuver astir The Bahamas. SpaceX utilized akin motorboat trajectories earlier this twelvemonth during the wintertime months to debar the harsher upwind and oversea authorities conditions disconnected the mid-Atlantic seashore and is returning to this motorboat illustration for the existent wintertime season.

After signifier separation, the 2nd signifier ignited its azygous Merlin 1D Vacuum (MVacD) motor for astir six minutes to inject the satellites into LEO. The fairing halves separated soon aft MVacD ignition and performed a parachute-assisted splashdown successful the ocean. They volition beryllium retrieved from the h2o by SpaceX’s multi-purpose betterment vas Doug.

The people insertion orbit for this ngo was 212 by 338 km astatine 43 degrees inclination. The 2nd signifier utilized a azygous pain of its MVacD motor to enactment the satellites into the people orbit. Deployment occurred astatine astir T+19 minutes and soon aft the 2nd signifier performs different pain to deorbit and safely pain up implicit the southwest Indian Ocean.

This ngo launched 54 Starlink satellites for the 530 km altitude, 43-degree inclination ammunition of Starlink’s Gen 2 constellation. This is the archetypal clip SpaceX launched to this caller constellation and it did truthful utilizing Falcon 9.

In August 2021, SpaceX presented plans to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to either usage Falcon 9 oregon Starship to deploy satellites into Starlink Gen 2. But then, successful January 2022, the institution announced they would usage lone Starship arsenic they thought it was going to beryllium acceptable for launches arsenic soon arsenic March of this year.

However, method delays successful readying Starship for its archetypal orbital formation meant that the institution had to revisit its plans and successful August 2022 it announced to the FCC that they would present motorboat into Starlink Gen 2 utilizing some Starship and Falcon 9. 

The document elaborate that “while SpaceX volition usage technically identical satellites connected some rockets, the carnal structures volition beryllium tailored to conscionable the carnal dimensions of the rockets connected which they volition beryllium launched.” 

This indicated that SpaceX intended to usage downsized satellites that would beryllium capable to acceptable wrong Falcon 9’s payload fairing. It was past confirmed by Elon Musk during an lawsuit with T-Mobile aboriginal that month. The CEO of the institution referred to these arsenic Starlink v2 “Mini” but dissimilar the document, wherever it doesn’t specify immoderate conditions to launching Starlink v2 satellites connected Falcon 9, helium said this would lone beryllium successful the lawsuit Starship were to beryllium delayed adjacent further. 

Indications that this motorboat successful peculiar was related to Starlink Gen 2 came successful precocious October 2022 erstwhile SpaceX filed a licence with the FCC requesting authorization to pass with the Falcon 9 rocket during motorboat and landing for this mission. These permits usually see the landing determination of the Falcon 9 booster, whether it is simply a drone vessel oregon otherwise. 

The landing coordinates connected the permits for this and consequent Group 5 missions indicated not lone that they intended to usage a southeast motorboat trajectory again conscionable similar they did earlier this year, but besides that the Group 5 launches wouldn’t beryllium to polar orbit arsenic antecedently thought.

Starlink’s Gen 1 constellation consists of 5 orbital shells astatine 4 antithetic inclinations. The archetypal Gen 1 motorboat run to capable the 53.2-degree ammunition utilized ngo numbers of the signifier LNN, up to the L28 motorboat successful May of 2021. 

In September 2021, SpaceX started utilizing the Group X-Y designation for their Starlink missions. It was understood astatine that clip that the archetypal number, X, would beryllium the ammunition to which the satellites are being deployed portion the 2nd one, Y, indicated the ngo fig (but not needfully the bid of launch). So acold SpaceX has launched missions to 3 of those shells utilizing “Group X-Y” ngo designations.

It was casual past to deliberation that Group 5 launches would beryllium going into the remaining orbital ammunition which is 1 with Sun-synchronous orbits – a benignant of polar orbit. However, based connected the landing coordinates connected the FCC permits, it was wide that the Group 5 missions wouldn’t beryllium going into that orbital ammunition and truthful it had to beryllium related to thing new. In particular, these landing coordinates indicated that Group 5 launches were going into a mid-inclination orbit.

In aboriginal December 2022, SpaceX received a licence that lone approved the deployment of 7500 Starlink Gen 2 satellites into the 33, 43, and 53-degree inclination orbital shells successful the little 500 km altitude region. Given SpaceX’s intentions to commencement deployment of these satellites not lone with Starship but besides with Falcon 9, it was a substance of clip for them to commencement launching Starlink Gen 2 satellites connected the latter.

Just a fewer weeks later, SpaceX submitted a petition for a Special Temporary Authority (STA) to the FCC to run VHF telemetry, tracking, and bid beacons connected Starlink Gen 2 satellites. This STA confirmed SpaceX was tracking Wednesday’s motorboat arsenic the archetypal of the Starlink Gen 2 constellation.

However, questions stay arsenic to what circumstantial hardware is included successful these satellites. Earlier documents by SpaceX to the FCC elaborate up to 3 antithetic configurations for Starlink Gen 2 satellites. One, dubbed F9-1, would beryllium the aforesaid size and wide arsenic Starlink v1.5 satellites that the institution is already launching and would beryllium launching connected Falcon 9.

Another configuration that could motorboat connected Falcon 9, dubbed F9-2, would beryllium astir treble the size, treble the fig of star arrays, and astir 3 times arsenic monolithic arsenic the F9-1 benignant of satellite. The papers besides included the dimensions for the 3rd Starlink Gen 2 outer configuration which SpaceX plans to motorboat connected Starship. 

The fig of satellites flying connected Starlink Group 5-1 suggests this ngo is flying the F9-1 outer configuration which would let them to usage hardware and processes akin to launching Starlink v1.5 satellites nether the Gen 1 constellation. 

SpaceX has already applied for 3 much Group 5 launches successful the adjacent mates of months and sources bespeak they’ll commencement launching Group 6 missions arsenic aboriginal arsenic February, besides headed to Starlink’s Gen 2 constellation. It would look similar the Group X-Y ngo designation is utilized for launches of some the Gen 1 and Gen 2 Starlink constellations.

Wednesday’s motorboat was SpaceX’s 60th motorboat of the twelvemonth and the second-to-last ngo for the institution successful 2022. This motorboat volition beryllium followed by different from Vandenberg aboriginal successful the week lofting the archetypal EROS-C3 satellite. If some motorboat earlier the extremity of the month, SpaceX would bushed their people of 60 launches this twelvemonth arsenic they hole for a engaged 2023 wherever the institution is targeting 100 launches. 

(Lead image: Falcon 9 launches the Starlink Group 5-1 ngo from Cape Canaveral. Credit: Stephen Marr for NSF)