SpaceX F9 : Starlink v1.0 L17 : KSC LC-39A : 4 March 2021 (0824 UTC)

[Jansen]

https://twitter.com/SpaceXFleet/status/1356397711357050883

[M.E.T.]

Jeepers. The intensity of the mission numbering debate above could come straight out of an episode of Big Bang Theory😀.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1356528907479097347

Droneship support ship GO Quest has departed from the Port of Morehead City towards the Starlink LZ.

A great sign that SpaceX is still working towards Falcon 9 liftoff on Wednesday.

[mandrewa]

I'm pretty sure that on their website SpaceX will call these missions "eighteenth Starlink mission" and "nineteenth Starlink mission" in whichever order they fly. And we'll see what they send in the emails to the space tracking community (e.g. T.S. Kelso called the previous mission Starlink-18 on CelesTrak and SpaceX had specifically told them to use this very numbering in some previous emails).

It’s possible that SpaceX will refer to this as the 19th Starlink mission, counting the 10 from Transporter-1. We will get official word soon.

There is not the slightest chance in the world that Space will add one to its count because of Transporter-1!

[Jansen]

50% GO for tomorrow, +90% GO on backup day. Booster recovery risk is still high, vs moderate/low on backup day.

[gongora]

[email protected]
11:32 AM (17 minutes ago)
to NAVSAFETY1

021628Z FEB 21
NAVAREA IV 103/21(11,26).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   041021Z TO 041139Z FEB, ALTERNATE
   050959Z TO 051117Z, 060938Z TO 061056Z,
   070916Z TO 071034Z, 080855Z TO 081013Z
   AND 090833Z TO 090951Z FEB
   IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 28-39-10N 080-37-48W, 29-00-00N 080-14-00W,
      29-15-00N 079-56-00W, 29-17-00N 079-50-00W,
      29-11-00N 079-44-00W, 29-07-00N 079-47-00W,
      28-50-00N 080-02-00W, 28-34-00N 080-22-00W,
      28-30-21N 080-32-58W.
   B. 31-57-00N 076-56-00W, 33-17-00N 076-03-00W,
      33-31-00N 074-59-00W, 33-10-00N 074-36-00W,
      32-27-00N 074-46-00W, 31-42-00N 076-41-00W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA IV 100/21.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 091051Z FEB 21.

[Elthiryel]

According to Ben Cooper, this launch is now planned for "February 4 at 5:36am EST".

The next (or maybe previous ) Starlink launch is now planned for "February 4 or 5 earliest at 1:19am or ~12:58am EST".

Can they launch two missions within a little more than 4 hours according to what we know? I doubt it.

[Ken the Bin]

The corresponding Space Debris notice:

021640Z FEB 21
HYDROPAC 408/21(GEN).
INDIAN OCEAN.
WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   041230Z TO 041323Z FEB, ALTERNATE
   051208Z TO 051301Z, 061147Z TO 061240Z,
   071125Z TO 071218Z, 081104Z TO 081157Z
   AND 091042Z TO 091135Z FEB
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   29-43S 060-07E, 24-55S 064-27E,
   38-45S 084-30E, 45-12S 099-45E,
   49-46S 119-13E, 50-42S 138-19E,
   48-50S 156-44E, 51-46S 158-08E,
   54-42S 148-32E, 56-20S 131-03E,
   55-52S 107-50E, 49-11S 085-05E,
   34-32S 064-13E.
2. CANCEL HYDROPAC 404/21.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 091235Z FEB 21.

[Jansen]

Can they launch two missions within a little more than 4 hours according to what we know? I doubt it.

Yes, according to previous statements from the Eastern Range. AFTS makes it possible.

[Elthiryel]

L-2 weather forecast for Feb 4 is up. >90% GO for the primary day, 70% GO for the backup. Booster recovery weather risk is Mod-Low and Moderate, respectively.

[Jansen]

Just wanted to note that this is the seventh time that the launch date has changed since originally announced.

Wonder if that’s a record? 😂

[Galactic Penguin SST]

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1356807508975845381?s=19

BTW how do we know the "L17" & "L18" designators are assigned to specific rockets/satellites and not sequential?

[gongora]

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1356807508975845381?s=19

BTW how do we know the "L17" & "L18" designators are assigned to specific rockets/satellites and not sequential?

Those are the mission names they provide to the range.  They are on all of the planning documents (weather forecasts, hazard areas).

[Jansen]

Crosspost:

https://twitter.com/spacexfleet/status/1356891369860644864

Departure!

Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief are outbound from the Port of Morehead City for the SpaceX Starlink double-header.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

L-1 launch weather forecast, 90+ % GO

[Raul]

Another postponement to Feb 05 10:14 UTC (22 minutes earlier) based on NOTMAR update.

031558Z FEB 21
NAVAREA IV 105/21(11,26).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   050959Z TO 051117Z FEB, ALTERNATE
   060938Z TO 061056Z, 070916Z TO 071034Z,
   080855Z TO 081013Z AND 090833Z TO 090951Z FEB
   IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 28-39-10N 080-37-48W, 29-00-00N 080-14-00W,
      29-15-00N 079-56-00W, 29-17-00N 079-50-00W,
      29-11-00N 079-44-00W, 29-07-00N 079-47-00W,
      28-50-00N 080-02-00W, 28-34-00N 080-22-00W,
      28-30-21N 080-32-58W.
   B. 31-57-00N 076-56-00W, 33-17-00N 076-03-00W,
      33-31-00N 074-59-00W, 33-10-00N 074-36-00W,
      32-27-00N 074-46-00W, 31-42-00N 076-41-00W.
2. CANCEL NAVAREA IV 103/21.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 091051Z FEB 21.

031609Z FEB 21
HYDROPAC 414/21(GEN).
INDIAN OCEAN.
WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   051208Z TO 051301Z FEB, ALTERNATE
   061147Z TO 061240Z, 071125Z TO 071218Z,
   081104Z TO 081157Z AND 091042Z TO 091135Z FEB
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   29-43S 060-07E, 24-55S 064-27E,
   38-45S 084-30E, 45-12S 099-45E,
   49-46S 119-13E, 50-42S 138-19E,
   48-50S 156-44E, 51-46S 158-08E,
   54-42S 148-32E, 56-20S 131-03E,
   55-52S 107-50E, 49-11S 085-05E,
   34-32S 064-13E.
2. CANCEL HYDROPAC 408/21.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 091235Z FEB 21.

[Jansen]

Ben Cooper and Next SpaceFlight now confirming date change.

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Someone forgot to tell 45th media team ...

twitter.com/45thspacewing/status/1357041906979639297

The 45th Space Wing has approved the launch of two SpaceX Falcon 9 missions carrying hundreds of Starlink satellites.  Working extremely close with our FAA, USN, and international partners, Starlink L-17 and Starlink L-18 are approved to launch at 0536L and 0119L, respectively.

https://twitter.com/45thspacewing/status/1357041908355395585

This is the first time since 11 November 1966 that two launches will lift off from the Eastern Range on the same day. Those previous missions were Gemini 12 and Atlas Agena which lifted off 99 minutes apart from each other. The two Falcons will lift off less than 5 hours apart.

[gongora]

Someone forgot to tell 45th media team ...

Yeah, I'm going with the NOTMAR and NOTAM.

[zubenelgenubi]

Liked just for the fun fact!

This is the first time since 11 November 1966 that two launches will lift off from the Eastern Range on the same day. Those previous missions were Gemini 12 and Atlas Agena which lifted off 99 minutes apart from each other. The two Falcons will lift off less than 5 hours apart.