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

[FutureSpaceTourist]

https://twitter.com/spacex/status/1356279692202897408

Due to rough weather in the recovery area, now targeting no earlier than Wednesday, February 3 at 5:57 a.m. EST for launch of Starlink

[zubenelgenubi]

Due to rough weather in the recovery area, now targeting no earlier than Wednesday, February 3 at 5:57 a.m. EST for launch of Starlink.

Cross-post; interesting development given Ben Cooper's update from several hours earlier:

http://www.launchphotography.com/Launch_Viewing_Guide.html

FALCON 9
The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral will launch the eighteenth Starlink batch from pad 39A on February TBD around 5-6am EST. Launch times for Starlink launches get around 20-22 minutes earlier each day. Then, a Falcon 9 will launch the nineteenth Starlink batch from pad 40 on February 4 earliest at 1:19am EST.

[kdhilliard]

The 45th Weather Squadron is predicting that the "high" booster recovery weather risk will persist for Wednesday morning's window, but will improve during the day and only be "moderate" by L18's Thursday morning window (T-0 of 01:19L).

Is there *any* chance we could see the order reversed, and have L18 fly just over four hours before L17?

That would be quite a feat, but would the interval be too short for:
* The Range?
* Hawthorne mission control?
* The Cape pad crews?
* The booster recovery crews (who would meet sunrise with two boosters in need of securing)?
* The fairing recovery crews (who would have to recover the first set in the dark to be prepared for the second set)?

[Jansen]

Is there *any* chance we could see the order reversed, and have L18 fly just over four hours before L17?

That would be quite a feat, but would the interval be too short for:
* The Range?
* Hawthorne mission control?
* The Cape pad crews?
* The booster recovery crews (who would meet sunrise with two boosters in need of securing)?
* The fairing recovery crews (who would have to recover the first set in the dark to be prepared for the second set)?

There is a chance of L18 launching before L17. It all depends on how the weather plays out.

Four hours is doable for the Eastern Range with the same vehicle type due to AFTS.

Hawthorne shouldn’t have any issues, as there is a sizeable gap between missions.

The launches are on different pads, so no issue there if they have sufficient personnel.

They might need to send a second support ship with additional personnel, depending on the timeline.

Fairing recovery shouldn’t be a problem, as they’ve demonstrated rapid recovery from the water from a single ship.

[PM3]

Is there *any* chance we could see the order reversed, and have L18 fly just over four hours before L17?

I don't think so. The launches are numered chronolgically. The CC launch may go before the KSC launch, but then the CC launch will be called L17 and this one here will become L18.

[wannamoonbase]

Is there *any* chance we could see the order reversed, and have L18 fly just over four hours before L17?

I don't think so. The launches are numered chronolgically. The CC launch may go before the KSC launch, but then the CC launch will be called L17 and this one here will become L18.

I don't think anyone will really care if 18 flies before 17.  I doubt the flights get renamed/numbered.  Maybe in media reporting only.

Eventually this will happen because a satellite or rocket will have some issue and the next flight will jump it.  SpaceX won't care, just get those data birds up there.

[Raul]

NOTMAR update with postponement to NET Feb 03, alternatively Feb 04 to Feb 09.
Incorrect times of launch window, which are same as S2 reentry window now.

011824Z FEB 21
NAVAREA IV 98/21(11,26).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   031251Z TO 031344Z FEB, ALTERNATE
   041230Z TO 041323Z, 051208Z TO 051301Z,
   061147Z TO 061240Z, 071125Z TO 071218Z,
   081104Z TO 081157Z AND 091042Z TO 091135Z 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 95/21.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 091235Z FEB 21

011840Z FEB 21
HYDROPAC 404/21(GEN).
INDIAN OCEAN.
WESTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   031251Z TO 031344Z FEB, ALTERNATE
   041230Z TO 041323Z, 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 396/21.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 091235Z FEB 21.

[gongora]

Is there *any* chance we could see the order reversed, and have L18 fly just over four hours before L17?

I don't think so. The launches are numered chronolgically. The CC launch may go before the KSC launch, but then the CC launch will be called L17 and this one here will become L18.

No.  The missions are named L17 and L18, regardless of what order they fly.

[Nomadd]

Is there *any* chance we could see the order reversed, and have L18 fly just over four hours before L17?

I don't think so. The launches are numered chronolgically. The CC launch may go before the KSC launch, but then the CC launch will be called L17 and this one here will become L18.

No.  The missions are named L17 and L18, regardless of what order they fly.

Yep. The references are in a hundred places and they can't change them all. Changing names would create confusion throughout the land. Chaos would rule.

[Elthiryel]

No.  The missions are named L17 and L18, regardless of what order they fly.

Yeah, probably it's going to stay L17 and L18 on the range.

On the other hand, 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).

[gongora]

On the other hand, 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.

Exactly, which is why I want the flight from SLC-40 to go first.  We'd have L18, the eighteenth Starlink mission.

[Jansen]

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.

[russianhalo117]

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.

That was the L2 launch of v0.9 sats. the L numbers for these are for v1.x sats.

[Jansen]

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.

That was the L2 launch of v0.9 sats. the L numbers for these are for v1.x sats.

The Starlink satellites on Transporter-1 were v1.0, it was the lasers that were v0.9. They’re not going to go back on to an obsolete design and put lasers on them.

[gongora]

Unless the laser gear is taking up the space the ka band gear used.

It's not

[russianhalo117]

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.

That was the L2 launch of v0.9 sats. the L numbers for these are for v1.x sats.

The Starlink satellites on Transporter-1 were v1.0, it was the lasers that were v0.9. They’re not going to go back on to an obsolete design and put lasers on them.

not according to Elon and SpaceX. yes it is a 1.x bus but Elon said that all of the polar sats to be launched this year including those flown on Transporter-1 are v0.9 for payloads (due to being experimental and not for operational customer use).

[Ken the Bin]

Here's the corrected Rocket Launching notice:

012018Z FEB 21
NAVAREA IV 100/21(11,26).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   031042Z TO 031200Z FEB, ALTERNATE
   041021Z TO 041139Z, 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 98/21.
3. CANCEL THIS MSG 091051Z FEB 21.

[Jansen]

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.

That was the L2 launch of v0.9 sats. the L numbers for these are for v1.x sats.

You’re not understanding what I wrote. I’m stating the possibility that SpaceX will count the satellites from Transporter-1 as a Starlink mission, the same way they counted the original v0.9 as a Starlink mission

It doesn’t affect the Launch numbering system at all.

[Jansen]

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.

That was the L2 launch of v0.9 sats. the L numbers for these are for v1.x sats.

The Starlink satellites on Transporter-1 were v1.0, it was the lasers that were v0.9. They’re not going to go back on to an obsolete design and put lasers on them.

not according to Elon and SpaceX. yes it is a 1.x bus but Elon said that all of the polar sats to be launched this year including those flown on Transporter-1 are v0.9 for payloads (due to being experimental and not for operational customer use).

Crosspost:

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1353566586985013254?s=19

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1353574169288396800?s=19

The ISL are v0.9, which is different from the satellite design being v0.9 (which was the first batch of 60 test Starlinks).

[gongora]

not according to Elon and SpaceX. yes it is a 1.x bus but Elon said that all of the polar sats to be launched this year including those flown on Transporter-1 are v0.9 for payloads (due to being experimental and not for operational customer use).

He did not say the sats are not for operational customer use.