SpaceX F9 : Starlink group 2-4 : VSFB SLC-4E : 19 January 2023 (15:43 UTC)

[zubenelgenubi]

Thread for the Starlink 2-4 group launch.

NSF Threads for Starlink 2-4: Discussion

Launch January 19, 2023 at 7:43 am PST (15:43 UTC), from Vandenberg SLC-4E, on booster 1075.1 1061-11.  Landing will be aboard Of Course I Still Love You.

Payload 51 52 Starlink satellites to 70 degree inclination on a south-southeastern trajectory.  Initial orbit 215 x 335 km.

Starlink v1.5 satellite mass is now about 300kg after the addition of laser ISL terminals.

Please use the Starlink Discussion Thread for all general discussion on Starlink.

Check the Starlink Index Thread for links to more Starlink information.


L2 SpaceX: https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=60.0

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post:

1703-EX-ST-2022
SpaceX Mission 1599 Starlink Group 2-4 from SLC-4E,
ASDS    North  29  11  36   West  117  45  52
NET November [November 7]

How will the launch schedule shake out with Starlink 4-31 also pending?

Edit October 21: Starlink 4-31 scheduled for October 28 UTC.

[AmigaClone]

Cross-post:

1703-EX-ST-2022
SpaceX Mission 1599 Starlink Group 2-4 from SLC-4E,
ASDS    North  29  11  36   West  117  45  52
NET November [November 7]

How will the launch schedule shake out with Starlink 4-31 also pending?

I suspect that Starlink Group 2-4 might see a launch attempt between 10 and 15 November 2022. If it doesn't launch in that window, I can see it possibly not launching until 2023. 

[zubenelgenubi]

NextSpaceFlight, updated October 23:
First stage is 1061.11.

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post:

http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbsked.htm [Oct 22 update]

NOV 29    To be announced    Falcon 9    SLC-4E    Vehicle will launch several Starlink satellites into orbit.

This launch would be 6 days before SWOT; apparently too close together in time for back-to-back Vandenberg Falcon 9 launches--unless this is to be another SpaceX improvement.

Edit: SWOT first stage LZ-4 landing removes OCISLY availability difficulty.

However...

I will clarify my thoughts by stating, as gongora does below, I don't think SpaceX would schedule a Starlink launch 6 days before SWOT.  A stronger source is needed.

[wannamoonbase]

Cross-post:

http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbsked.htm [Oct 22 update]

NOV 29    To be announced    Falcon 9    SLC-4E    Vehicle will launch several Starlink satellites into orbit.

This launch would be 6 days before SWOT; apparently too close together in time for back-to-back Vandenberg Falcon 9 launches--unless this is to be another SpaceX improvement.

Well SWOT should be a RTLS landing, so the ASDS should not be a limitation.

6 days seems very short, especially for an external customer like NASA.

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post:

http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbsked.htm [Oct 22 update]

NOV 29    To be announced    Falcon 9    SLC-4E    Vehicle will launch several Starlink satellites into orbit.

This launch would be 6 days before SWOT; apparently too close together in time for back-to-back Vandenberg Falcon 9 launches--unless this is to be another SpaceX improvement.

Well SWOT should be a RTLS landing, so the ASDS should not be a limitation.

6 days seems very short, especially for an external customer like NASA.

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=41678.msg2355094#msg2355094
SFN Launch Schedule lists SWOT with an ASDS booster landing.

[Alexphysics]

Except we know SWOT is going to be RTLS from the FCC permits. https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=45440.msg2420545#msg2420545

RTLS from Vandy, NET early December.  Kinda lines up with SWOT.
1752-EX-ST-2022

[russianhalo117]

Except we know SWOT is going to be RTLS from the FCC permits. https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=45440.msg2420545#msg2420545

As always this is subject to change.

[gongora]

I wouldn't believe that November 29 date without a much better source.  No way they have a Starlink schedule from Vandy six days before SWOT.

[realnouns]

Of course, also possibility SWOT gets pushed back.  SWOT updates below (date of update - from who - launch target):
Aug 25 - NASA - Dec 5
Sep 6 - Thales - NET Dec 5
Oct 17 - Thales - Dec
Oct 20 - NASA - Dec

The Dec 5 SWOT launch date estimate has weakened to just December over the last couple months

[gongora]

That's another possibility.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

NextSpaceFlight, updated November 10:
Launch November 17 03:22 UTC
= November 16, 7:22 pm PST

[Ken the Bin]

This generic NGA Hazardous Operations notice appears to be for this launch.

081911Z NOV 22
NAVAREA XII 857/22(GEN).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
CALIFORNIA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS: 
   A. 170242Z TO 170710Z NOV, ALTERNATE 
      180228Z TO 180656Z, 190214Z TO 190642Z, 
      200201Z TO 200628Z, 210147Z TO 210614Z NOV
      IN AREA BOUND BY
      34-40.00N 120-40.00W, 34-40.00N 120-17.00W,
      34-27.00N 120-17.00W, 34-08.00N 120-05.00W,
      32-40.00N 119-25.00W, 32-40.00N 119-31.00W,
      33-18.00N 119-52.00W, 33-55.00N 120-17.00W,
      34-22.00N 120-34.00W, 34-33.00N 120-38.00W.
   B. 170242Z TO 170711Z NOV, ALTERNATE 
      180228Z TO 180657Z, 190214Z TO 190643Z, 
      200201Z TO 200629Z, 210147Z TO 210615Z NOV
      IN AREA BOUND BY
      30-11.00N 118-18.00W, 30-11.00N 117-56.00W,
      29-47.00N 117-39.00W, 28-33.00N 117-14.00W,
      28-33.00N 117-32.00W, 29-33.00N 118-17.00W.
   C. 170435Z TO 170816Z NOV, ALTERNATE 
      180421Z TO 180802Z, 190407Z TO 190748Z,
      200354Z TO 200734Z, 210340Z TO 210720Z 
      IN AREA BOUND BY
      35-19.00N 144-30.00W, 36-12.00N 142-29.00W,
      52-02.00N 153-16.00W, 51-09.00N 155-54.00W.

[OneSpeed]

This generic NGA Hazardous Operations notice appears to be for this launch.

Map from the NGA notice. The coordinates do appear to match the 70° orbital inclination. ASDS 662km downrange.

[VLN]

081911Z NOV 22
NAVAREA XII 857/22(GEN).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
CALIFORNIA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS: 
   A. 

Where do you find this? The links I use at msi.nga.mil are now 4 days stale, ending at no. 846.

[Ken the Bin]

081911Z NOV 22
NAVAREA XII 857/22(GEN).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
CALIFORNIA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS: 
   A. 

Where do you find this? The links I use at msi.nga.mil are now 4 days stale, ending at no. 846.

I don't use the website, I subscribe to the mailing lists.  The website is always behind, though not usually four days behind.

[Ken the Bin]

A cancel-and-replace NGA notice.  In addition to slipping to November 17/18, the time has also moved 1 hour and 20 minutes later (relative to the original time for November 18 UTC, not the November 17 time).

150000Z NOV 22
NAVAREA XII 876/22(GEN).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
CALIFORNIA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS: 
   A. 180348Z TO 180656Z NOV, ALTERNATE 
      190334Z TO 190642Z, 200320Z TO 200628Z,
      210306Z TO 210614Z, 220252Z TO 220600Z NOV
      IN AREA BOUND BY
      34-40.00N 120-40.00W, 34-40.00N 120-17.00W,
      34-27.00N 120-17.00W, 34-08.00N 120-05.00W,
      32-40.00N 119-25.00W, 32-40.00N 119-31.00W,
      33-18.00N 119-52.00W, 33-55.00N 120-17.00W,
      34-22.00N 120-34.00W, 34-33.00N 120-38.00W.
   B. 180348Z TO 180657Z NOV, ALTERNATE 
      190334Z TO 190643Z, 200320Z TO 200629Z,
      210306Z TO 210615Z, 220252Z TO 220601Z NOV
      IN AREA BOUND BY
      30-11.00N 118-18.00W, 30-11.00N 117-56.00W,
      29-47.00N 117-39.00W, 28-33.00N 117-14.00W,
      28-33.00N 117-32.00W, 29-33.00N 118-17.00W.
   C. 180541Z TO 180802Z NOV, ALTERNATE 
      190527Z TO 190748Z, 200513Z TO 200734Z,
      210459Z TO 210720Z, 220445Z TO 220706Z NOV
      IN AREA BOUND BY
      35-19.00N 144-30.00W, 36-12.00N 142-29.00W,
      52-02.00N 153-16.00W, 51-09.00N 155-54.00W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA XII 857/22.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 220806Z NOV 22.

[VLN]

A cancel-and-replace NGA notice.  In addition to slipping to November 17/18, the time has also moved 1 hour and 20 minutes later (relative to the original time for November 18 UTC, not the November 17 time).

Same exact footprints of the three zones. As you say, the start of the window for each day has shifted by 80 min, but the end has not changed. So the window is 80 min shorter each day. If the launch time also shifts by 80 min, that suggests the orbit is the same except for a 20 deg eastward shift of the ascending node. That's a significant change in the orbit, but I don't know what it means for the distribution of satellites.

[AmigaClone]

A cancel-and-replace NGA notice.  In addition to slipping to November 17/18, the time has also moved 1 hour and 20 minutes later (relative to the original time for November 18 UTC, not the November 17 time).

Same exact footprints of the three zones. As you say, the start of the window for each day has shifted by 80 min, but the end has not changed. So the window is 80 min shorter each day. If the launch time also shifts by 80 min, that suggests the orbit is the same except for a 20 deg eastward shift of the ascending node. That's a significant change in the orbit, but I don't know what it means for the distribution of satellites.

Per the 27 April 2021 modification of the original Starlink constellation Group 2 has 36 orbital planes with 20 satellites per plane. Unless they are targeting certain planes based on those occupied by satellites from the first one, it might not make much difference exactly when the launch time occurs.