Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : Starlink v1.0 L17 : KSC LC-39A : 4 March 2021 (0824 UTC)  (Read 179149 times)

Offline gongora

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https://twitter.com/TSKelso/status/1366923633566748675
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CelesTrak has updated the pre-launch SupTLEs for #Starlink-V1.0-17 for the next 2 launch opportunities on Mar 4 at 0824 & 1042 UTC. Second time is the primary (desired) launch time. Deployment is set for 09:29:39.360 & 11:47:33.360 UTC, respectively: https://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/supplemental/

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L-1 launch weather forecast still 90% GO

Offline Barley

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https://twitter.com/TSKelso/status/1366923633566748675
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CelesTrak has updated the pre-launch SupTLEs for #Starlink-V1.0-17 for the next 2 launch opportunities on Mar 4 at 0824 & 1042 UTC. Second time is the primary (desired) launch time. Deployment is set for 09:29:39.360 & 11:47:33.360 UTC, respectively: https://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/supplemental/
The two opportunities are into different planes, about 40 degrees apart.  Is this the first time they have done that?

It has long seemed to me that more starlink launches could be scheduled for the convenience of things on the ground, such as launch crews, weather, or air traffic, rather than aiming to fill particular slots with particular launches.  The repeat period is about two months, so if you mostly launch at, say, noon you can still fill the constellation over a year.

Offline Jim

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It has long seemed to me that more starlink launches could be scheduled for the convenience of things on the ground, such as launch crews, weather, or air traffic, rather than aiming to fill particular slots with particular launches.  The repeat period is about two months, so if you mostly launch at, say, noon you can still fill the constellation over a year.

Which bad for business.  Filling specific slots will give them better early coverage.

Offline gongora

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There may be a little flexibility on deployments right now as they've mostly filled the initial 36 planes and are early on deploying the next 36.  The high flight rate also helps since there will be more launches soon that could backfill any gaps.  To maximize the quality of service as they're going live they do have to make sure they focus on filling gaps as well as just putting up bulk numbers of satellites.

Offline Barley

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It has long seemed to me that more starlink launches could be scheduled for the convenience of things on the ground, such as launch crews, weather, or air traffic, rather than aiming to fill particular slots with particular launches.  The repeat period is about two months, so if you mostly launch at, say, noon you can still fill the constellation over a year.

Which bad for business.  Filling specific slots will give them better early coverage.
If you have several gaps it does not matter which which gap you fill.  Most of the time they will have several choices that give equivalent coverage.  They are only tightly constrained when they have an almost full layer.

OTOH improving launch reliability and reducing launch delays is usually a win.

Offline Jim

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It has long seemed to me that more starlink launches could be scheduled for the convenience of things on the ground, such as launch crews, weather, or air traffic, rather than aiming to fill particular slots with particular launches.  The repeat period is about two months, so if you mostly launch at, say, noon you can still fill the constellation over a year.

Which bad for business.  Filling specific slots will give them better early coverage.
If you have several gaps it does not matter which which gap you fill.  Most of the time they will have several choices that give equivalent coverage.  They are only tightly constrained when they have an almost full layer.

OTOH improving launch reliability and reducing launch delays is usually a win.

Not true.  Before the constellation is even close to complete, they can target higher  revenue areas for better coverage.  GPS did something similar.  Shotgunning doesn’t do any good.

Plus noon is a bad launch time.

Offline soltasto

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Updated "press kit" capture. Had to do again the manual capture and stitch.

Offline the_other_Doug

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Any indication yet which of the two launch times they're shooting for?  The Celestrak discussion above states that the second time, 10:42 UTC, is the preferred time.  But NSF's Facebook page states that they will be covering the 8:24 UTC launch time.

I've been up since 4am, and need to take a nap.  I'd *really* like to sleep until the later timeframe, and not have to get up for the earlier one "just in case"... if it is going to be the preferred launch time.
-Doug  (With my shield, not yet upon it)

Offline gongora

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Our reporters were told to show up for the earlier time.  (Which doesn't guarantee it will be the earlier time, but that seems to still be a valid option)
« Last Edit: 03/04/2021 12:34 am by gongora »

Offline scr00chy

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SpaceX seems to be targeting the earlier time and the later one is backup:

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SpaceX is targeting 3:24 a.m. EST on Thursday, March 4 for launch of 60 Starlink satellites from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If needed, there are backup opportunities available at 5:42 a.m. EST on Thursday, March 4, as well as 3:03 a.m. EST and 5:21 a.m. EST on Friday, March 5.

https://www.spacex.com/launches/
« Last Edit: 03/04/2021 01:05 am by scr00chy »

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Offline the_other_Doug

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SpaceX seems to be targeting the earlier time and the later one is backup:

Quote
SpaceX is targeting 3:24 a.m. EST on Thursday, March 4 for launch of 60 Starlink satellites from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If needed, there are backup opportunities available at 5:42 a.m. EST on Thursday, March 4, as well as 3:03 a.m. EST and 5:21 a.m. EST on Friday, March 5.

https://www.spacex.com/launches/

Okay, thanks.  Yeah, it made no sense to me whatsoever the primary was the later timeframe, and the secondary was the earlier.
-Doug  (With my shield, not yet upon it)

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Plus noon is a bad launch time.
Why?
Support your local planetarium! (COVID-panic and forward: Now more than ever.) My current avatar is saying "i wants to go uppies!" Yes, there are God-given rights. Do you wish to gainsay the Declaration of Independence?

Online zubenelgenubi

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Another launch attempt!

March 4 January late 27 29 30 31 February 1 early 2 3 4 5 7 mid 16 17 NET 19 TBD 26 March 1 NET 2 3 - Starlink flight 20 19 18 (x60) [v1.0 L17] - Falcon 9-109 8 (B1049.8 S) - Kennedy LC-39A - 08:24 or 10:42 ~13:00 12:24 12:02 11:41 ~11:00 11:19 10:57 10:36 10:14 09:31 ~06:00-08:00 06:17 05:55 05:12 TBD ~03:00 01:37 01:15 00:53
(Starlink: launch 20-22 minutes earlier/day)

Changes on January 8th
Changes on January 20th
Changes on January 22th
Changes on January 26th
Changes on January 28th
Changes on January 30th
Changes on January 31st
Changes on February 1st
Changes on February 2nd
Changes on February 3rd
Changes on February 4th
Changes on February 5th
Changes on February 9th
Changes on February 11th
Changes on February 13th
Changes on February 16th
Changes on February 17th
Changes on February 19th
Changes on February 22nd
Changes on March 1st
Changes on March 2nd
Changes on March 4th
zubenelgenubi
« Last Edit: 03/11/2021 09:46 pm by zubenelgenubi »
Support your local planetarium! (COVID-panic and forward: Now more than ever.) My current avatar is saying "i wants to go uppies!" Yes, there are God-given rights. Do you wish to gainsay the Declaration of Independence?

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https://twitter.com/TGMetsFan98/status/1367322253017415683
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An unusual Starlink launch in a few hours, with two launch opportunities at 3:24 and 5:42 AM EST, respectively.
#SpaceX #Falcon9 #Starlink

Article by Colin Fletcher: https://nasaspaceflight.com/2021/03/spacex-launch-delayed-starlink/

Webcast:
« Last Edit: 03/04/2021 05:11 am by zubenelgenubi »
Support your local planetarium! (COVID-panic and forward: Now more than ever.) My current avatar is saying "i wants to go uppies!" Yes, there are God-given rights. Do you wish to gainsay the Declaration of Independence?

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NSF now live

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Go for first launch window

https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1367382859271467010

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T-30 minutes until launch of Starlink. Webcast will go live ~15 minutes before liftoff → spacex.com/launches

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« Last Edit: 03/04/2021 07:39 am by Chris Bergin »

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