(Update: SpaceX has decided that they need to make a software change to the satellites. They are projecting a launch next week. More information here.)
The launch window opens at 10:30 pm EDT today (5/15/19) for the launch of the next test phase of SpaceX’s nearly-12,000-satellite Starlink constellation. This is a special launch in several ways.
First, these 60 development satellites begin the orbital testing of a global internet communications system intended to provide nearly twice the bandwidth of the OneWeb system. (Two much-smaller satellites were launched last year, Tintin A and B.) Although these nearly 500-lb birds are not fully-functional members of the eventual system, lacking only the laser communication hardware that would connect them to each other, they will test electric thrusters that allow them to avoid orbital debris, and precision pointing methods that keep them oriented while speeding around in low Earth orbit.
Secondly, this payload is heavy. The total weight being lofted into orbit is roughly 30,400 pounds, making this the heaviest load Falcon 9 has ever launched. The drone ship OCISLY is currently in position nearly 385 miles downrange — a long way away and a consequence of the mass the rocket has to lift.
This is truly a huge amount of cargo, and is an impressive achievement to pack it all into the existing Falcon 9 payload fairing. Note that the “feature image” for this post is an earlier graphic artist’s interpretation based on hand-waving. Here is the real thing:
As is coming to be expected with this company, even the packing system is a new way of doing things. Rather than lofting a dedicated satellite-deployment structure, the satellites lock together and deploy themselves. If they have a camera on this, it should be fascinating to watch.
I have to echo the sentiments of user perilun under this Teslarati article:
Best of luck SpaceX, it seems like an order-of-magnitude jump in innovations going into this flight … it will be a big step forward in the history of aerospace.
More information on Starlink is here. You can see the launch at the usual place. Be there, or be square!
9 replies on “Starlink begins tonight — nope, tomorrow — nope, next week”
Tuned in and counting down! Looks like 11:00pm ET at last check. Go Falcon 9!
No launch tonight, sadly. High altitude windows. I’ll tune in when they try again tomorrow!
Eyup. At least this is easier than having driven over to the Cape for a launch and having it scrubbed.
or maybe losing a rocket+payload. :^) Yes, I’m happy to enjoy a launch a day later, from the comfort of my own Internet connection. Though I will hope for good timing when I do go down to try to see a launch in person someday.
Don’t know how far away you are, but if you haven’t done so, seeing it live (even from a distance) is completely different from TV.
We lived in Clearwater FL during the shuttle era and saw quite a number (including the first one). When I was a kid in Hollywood, I saw the night-launched Saturn V (Apollo 17) heading up trailing a long plume of fire. It was astonishing even from 270 miles away.
Oooooooh–this is so cool. I didn’t know about the Starlink project, but what a feat if they can pull it off!
Starlink is how Musk intends to pay for getting to Mars. He expects to make about $1.5 billion per month from it once it’s up and running. Also, it’s the business driver for the hurried development of Starship/SuperHeavy — SpaceX needs that ship in order to launch all 12,000 satellites in a reasonable time frame. It’s not feasible to launch Falcon 9’s 200 times to get it all up on schedule.
The really interesting part is that the satellites are supposed to automatically avoid orbital debris by dodging out of the way. Now that is really cool…
Very! Especially as we’re continuing to collect orbital debris as the years go on–it’s going to be at least a little while yet before we get those trash-wrangling robots up there to start cleaning things up.
A couple of companies are working on the trash robots (will they name them “WALL-E”?), and this low orbit is specifically so they can be de-orbited at the end of their lifetimes.
I wish we’d had a couple of entrepreneurs with the space bug 30 years ago. I guess it took the internet economy to build the cash up, like Bezos (Amazon) and Musk (Paypal).
The thought occurs: Starlink satellites would be a convenient way to put planet-wide internet on Mars…