Each Starlink satellite weights approximately 260 kg and features a compact, flat-panel design that minimizes volume, allowing for a dense launch stack to take full advantage of Falcon 9’s launch capabilities. With four powerful phased array and two parabolic antennas on each satellite ... At end of their life cycle, the satellites will utilize their on-board propulsion system to deorbit over the course of a few months. In the unlikely event their propulsion system becomes inoperable, the satellites will burn up in Earth’s atmosphere within 1-5 years, significantly less than the hundreds or thousands of years required at higher altitudes. Further, Starlink components are designed for full demisability.Starlink is targeting service in the Northern U.S. and Canada in 2020, rapidly expanding to near global coverage of the populated world by 2021. Additional information on the system can be found at starlink.com.
SpaceX has raised a Falcon 9 vertical on launch pad 39A in Florida in preparation for liftoff at 3:37pm EDT (1937 GMT) Wednesday with the company’s next 60 Starlink Internet satellites. LIVE COVERAGE: spaceflightnow.com/2020/04/22/fal…
Good morning from the Kennedy Space Center where SpaceX is readying a Falcon 9 rocket for launch later today: spaceflightnow.com/2020/04/22/fal…
Good morning from Kennedy Space Center where a Falcon 9 is poised to deliver 60 Starlink satellites this afternoon. Stay tuned for views from remote setup.More about the milestones the Seventh Starlink mission will achieve in this @NASASpaceflightArticle. https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/04/falcon-9-us-leader-starlink/
New T-0 of 3:30 p.m. EDT, 19:30 UTC, for today’s launch of Starlink
Welcome to LC-39A, the launch site for today’s SpaceX Starlink mission, scheduled to lift off at 3:37pm ET.As this is the seventh dedicated Starlink launch, SpaceX will have launched 420 operational Starlink satellites following today’s mission.(📷/for @SuperclusterHQ)
Naked recovered fairings courtesy of GO Ms. Tree who caught one half and GO Ms. Chief who fished out the other half from the Atlantic during AMOS-17 recovery. Maybe Earth Day will bring some extra reuse luck for the #SpaceXFleet and we'll finally see a double catch. #Starlink
B1051.4 is not afraid of recycling and reuse. Check out the scorch on this three time flown booster. Remotes are set! Join @ChrisG_NSF and I at 2:30 pm ET for a livestream of the launch and pre-launch chat. #Starlinkyoutu.be/TvYjFNEPeSghtt…
Liftoff of a new batch of #SpaceX Starlink satellites from Pad 39A is scheduled for 3:30pm EDT This seasoned booster launched Crew Dragon’s first flight to ISS, RADARSAT, and #Starlink #4Booster and fairing recoveries will be attempted at sea@erikkuna for Supercluster
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launches the seventh batch of 60 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral at 3:30pm today, furthering the company’s progress toward providing affordable & reliable internet access worldwide via a constellation of satellites.(📷/for @SuperclusterHQ)
The Seventh Starlink mission has launched from 39A onboard B1051.4. This launch makes Falcon 9 the most flown currently operational U.S. rocket with 84 flights. #Starlink #SpaceX
AHH!!! Someone stole the rocket!
Most amazing thing I ever captured in my whole life: Starlink 6 satellites just after release, captured from the Netherlands in the first orbit with a 10 inch telescope. Animation of 3 frames. Many more to come. @Space @elonmusk @planet4589@Teslarati @metrolinaszabi
Telescopic close-up of #Starlink 6 satellites just after release, captured from the Netherlands in the first orbit with a 10 inch telescope. Check out my animation too! Click for full image @elonmusk @spacex
UK pass of the just-launched batch of 60 @SpaceX #Starlink satellites! Bright object is the Falcon 9 second stage plus two strings of 30 satellites released to drift apart over the coming months. @VirtualAstro @newburyastro @sarahcruddas
Launch of Starlink 6 today.
The whole story in one photograph! #Starlink 6 mission 22 minutes after launch from London. It was very bright and look at that, even Falcon-9 2nd stage is visible!Woaaaaah!@spacex @elonmusk @Teslarati @NASASpaceflight @DJSnM @Erdayastronaut @smartereveryday @VirtualAstro
The #SpaceX Falcon 9 roars off Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center this afternoon, firing its 9 Merlin enginesCaptured by remotely placed cameras setup by @johnkrausphotos for Supercluster
A stunning streak shot of the #SpaceX F9 Starlink liftoff captured remotely by @johnkrausphotos
Falcon’s Flame 🔥(📷/for @SuperclusterHQ)
The Seventh Starlink mission for SpaceX is in the books officially marking the 84th Falcon 9 launch. The next mission that will come out of this hangar will be DM-2 NET May 27. Catch up with @NASASpaceflight! Replay: youtu.be/TvYjFNEPeSgForum: forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topi…
Tracking indicates that Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief are leaving the recovery zone.No attempt was made to catch the fairing today, they planned to scoop halves from the water.Sometimes Elon will tweet photos, otherwise, we will have to wait for their return to see how they got on.
Tracking maps indicate that Of Course I Still Love You droneship and the recovery fleet are now leaving the landing zone.
Update! Fleet is moving incredibly slowly - between 1-2 knots, having only traveled about 40kmPossibilities include that they're drifting as they continue to work on OCISLY or battling forecasted bad weather that forced SpaceX to move launch Difficult to know so don't assume!
...as for the fairing catchers...They are powering ahead and passed the droneship team at about 1am EDT. ETA is difficult to predict as speed is variable but looks like an arrival between 12am - 7am EDT overnight tonightMore to follow later.
Fill 'er up!Falcon 9 likes its liquid oxygen *super* chill (-340°F 🥶), so fueling doesn't start until 35 minutes before launch. Once the tanks are topped off, you see the strongback retract in preparation for launch. #Starlink
Fleet Update!Ms . Tree and Ms. Chief are halfway through their journey to Port Canaveral. ETA is difficult to predict as speed is varying. Best guess would be sometime after 4am EST tomorrow morning. OCISLY is progressing well. A broad ETA is for Saturday morning.
Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief have made very little progress in the last few hours and are still over 200km from Port Canaveral. They're moving slowly and caught up in rough seas. ETA not known because of the poor condition.
After a slow crawl throughout the night, the fairing catchers have picked up some speed again.If they can keep this pace, they'll be arriving at Port Canaveral mid-afternoon today.
The weather in the area is fantastically terrible so this turn of speed was a surprise. They've been cruising along at 12 - 13 knots for the last two hours. Even if they make it back for this afternoon, they may not be let into Port Canaveral til the weather improves.
The #SpaceXFleet is now maneuvering the weather and most likely riding some swells. The skies in the Merritt Island/Port Canaveral area remain grey, windy and full of drizzle. I am hoping to see the catchers make it back later tonight. OCISLY will be harder to predict for a while
Arrival! Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief have returned to Port Canaveral.There is definitely a fairing haf onboard each ship. Higher quality photos to follow shortly where we can assess the condition of the fairing.
https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1253780830415196164QuoteArrival! Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief have returned to Port Canaveral.There is definitely a fairing haf onboard each ship. Higher quality photos to follow shortly where we can assess the condition of the fairing.
Ms. Chief and her fairing half
Both halves look good, here is Ms. Tree. Chief photos next.
OCISLY is about halfway through the journey home. The droneship and accompanying support ships have been slowly progressing through very rough seas.Saturday is now not-possible and I'm hearing that they are tentatively targeting arrival on Sunday morning - weather permitting.
"There they are!"After battling rough seas, #SpaceXFleet returns to a rainy and grateful @PortCanaveral. OCISLY trails behind, expected to arrive ~Sunday. Listen to those ambisonic raindrops 🎤x4 =🌧️ http://cosmicperspective.com/starlink
This morning GO Ms. Chief and GO Ms. Tree offloaded the fairing halves that each recovered from the Atlantic with their scoop nets. This marks the second time this fairing set has been recovered by #SpaceXFleet recovery teams with the first flight being AMOS-17. #Starlink
OCISLY will be within the vicinity of Port Canaveral in the early hours of tomorrow morning.B1051.4 and OCISLY are expected to enter Port Canaveral between 7:30 - 8:30am EDT tomorrow morning (Sunday 26th).
Join NSF's Julia Bergeron (@Julia_bergeron) for an overview of the SpaceX Fleet recovery operations in Port Canaveral, including the return of the fairings from the seventh Starlink launch and JRTI update.
Good morning Space Coast!Tugboat Finn Falgout and Of Course I Still Love You are just offshore awaiting an arrival in the next few hours
Falcon’s Return
B1051.4’s Docking WaltzShot by @johnkrausphotos at Port Canaveral this morning #SpaceX
They have finished berthing OCISLY. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX @SpaceXFleet
SpaceX Booster B1051.4 returned after its 4th flight to space this morning to Port Canaveral on droneship OCISLY. It gets dirtier each time it returns, but it just proves that these rockets can stand the wear & tear of multiple flights. #SpaceX #NASA #Space #SpaceXFleet
The #Falcon9 arrived back to Port Canaveral early this morning after a successful #Starlink mission. It's still awesome to watch a rocket launch, land on a droneship then see it come back to prepare for another launch! #SpaceX #SpaceXFleet
I thought I would stop by on my way to work and check on B1051.4 They are just now putting the cap on to move the booster to the stand. It is a windy day so their window to move it may be limited. #SpaceXFleet #Starlink
B1051.4's cap is on and I think two of the lines are attached to legs. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX @SpaceXFleet
Recovered #Falcon9 hoisted off #Ocisly droneship onto land pedestal in 2 stages this morning at 1015 and 11 am ET @PortCanaveral - after successful cap attachment. From #Spacex #Starlink launch Apr 22/port arrival apr 26. Leg work upcoming . Quick views
One leg down (as in, up), three to go.
They are lifting the right leg of B1051.4 #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX @SpaceXFleet
The back leg is going up. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX @SpaceXFleet
Phone pic, but the back leg is up. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX @SpaceXFleet
They appear to be having some trouble with the last leg, they put it all the way down and have now brought it back up to about were it was before. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX @SpaceXFleet
And last leg is has made it up, it went up and down several times before making it up. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX @SpaceXFleet
B1051.4 is horizontal and almost on the transporter. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX @SpaceXFleet @ken_kremer
B1051.4 is in the air. #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX @SpaceXFleet @ken_kremer
The back crane is detached from B1051.4 #SpaceXFleet #SpaceX
