SpaceX F9 : Starlink group 4-26 : KSC LC-39A : 9/10 Aug. 2022 (0214 UTC)

[Conexion Espacial]

Thread for the Starlink 4-26 group launch from one of the Florida Falcon 9 launch complexes.

NSF Threads for Starlink 4-26: Discussion

Launch August 10, 2022 02:14 UTC (10:14pm EDT on the 9th), from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A, on booster 1073-3.  First stage landing is planned aboard A Shortfall of Gravitas.

Payload 52 Starlink satellites to 53.2 degree inclination on a northeastern trajectory.  Initial orbit of 230 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

[Conexion Espacial]

Cross-Post:

Oh I forgot... B1069-2 is flying on Starlink Group 4-26. NET August from Florida

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-Post:

Oh I forgot... B1069-2 is flying on Starlink Group 4-26. NET August from Florida.

NextSpaceFlight


Will SpaceX Static Fire 1069.2 before launch?  I suspect yes, as extensive repairs have been performed on the booster.

Edit August 3: First stage is 1073.3--no need for a Static Fire.

Edited

[Conexion Espacial]

Cross-Post:

B1069 is back and will be prepared for the Starlink Group 4-26 mission to be launched in August.https://twitter.com/planetdeimos/status/1534973358315556895

[zubenelgenubi]

Cross-post; operation NET July 29, which essentially equals NET August.
Northeastern trajectory.

1149-EX-ST-2022
Mission 1788 Starlink Group 4-26 from Cape Canaveral FL at LC-40 CCAFS or LC-39a at KSC
ASDS  North  32  43  27  West  75  41  46

[Rondaz]

#Falcon9 #B1073.2 has been spotted heading towards Hanger X at Cape Canaveral.

https://twitter.com/DELTA_V/status/1545476606822842368

[zubenelgenubi]

SFN Launch Schedule, updated July 13:
August from SLC-40.

[zubenelgenubi]

SFN Launch Schedule, updated July 13:
August from SLC-40.

Will this launch move to LC-39A to launch ASAP after Starlink 4-25 in early August?

ASAP = as soon as possible

Edit July 22: Launch Aug 9 from LC-39A.

[crandles57]

SFN Launch Schedule, updated July 13:
August from SLC-40.

Will this launch move to LC-39A to launch ASAP after Starlink 4-25 in early August?

ASAP = as soon as possible

I don't know.

Possibly relevant info: FCC STA start for 4-26 is 29 July for 4-27 it is 9 Aug.

9 Aug would be a 16 day gap after 24 July. While this is longer than record 9 day turnaround, it still is a reasonable pace - 2 per month per pad from Florida =48 +12 from VSFB =60.

Pad 39A possibly? needed 1 Sept for Crew5 so perhaps cannot use pad later than ~20 Aug. 9th plus 18th would be tight to fit in 2 launches. However changing plan to fit in an extra launch, seems even tighter, requiring record pace: 2nd 11th and 20th might just about be possible if they were all starlink but seems unlikely.

We have Danuri, 4-26, 4-27, 4-23 STA start 17 Aug, 4-20 STA start 24 Aug. 3-3 and 3-4 from VSFB would make 7 launches which is perhaps just about as much as the drone ships can handle.
4-27 and 4-23 from pad 39A while pad 40 does Danuri, 4-26 and 4-20.

That or less than that seems quite possible. More than that by moving 4-26 to pad 39A, while just about possible, creating opportunity for 8 launches in a month seems unlikely. Also if there are no more Starlink STAs starting Aug then would have to fly a customer payload, which will be less familiar, so more likely to be delays and more difficult to fit that many in.

Change of plans are always possible, but this one seems unlikely to me.

Edit: now crew-5 net 29 Sept, there is more room after 20 Aug so perhaps it makes a little more sense. Still thinking 7 launches would be great, what else could they launch? An O3b MPower maybe?

[Josh_from_Canada]

Now August 9th from LC-39A [, approximately 23:00 UTC, updated July 21]

SFN Launch Schedule, updated July 13:
August from SLC-40.

[edit: zubenelgenubi]

[wannamoonbase]

Cross-Post:

B1069 is back and will be prepared for the Starlink Group 4-26 mission to be launched in August.https://twitter.com/planetdeimos/status/1534973358315556895

This will be one of the more anticipated launches in a long while.  How much was needed to fix this booster and what will a static fire look like to verify the fixes?

Getting it back into the line up will help especially if some of the fleet leaders get expended as they approach end of life.

[zubenelgenubi]

SFN SpaceX launches sixth mission in 17 days, July 24

Two more Starlink missions are also on tap in the first half of August, one from the Kennedy Space Center and one from Vandenberg Space Force [Base] in California.

[zubenelgenubi]

At some time in recent days, the assignment of 1069.2 to this launch was removed from the NextSpaceFlight page.

[zubenelgenubi]

At some time in recent days, the assignment of 1069.2 to this launch was removed from the NextSpaceFlight page.

Might 1060.14 replace 1069.2, so as to reach 15 flights sooner and undergo "deep-dive" examination?

A successful August 9 launch would make it 1060.15.  One more successful launch after that--in September or October--would make 15 successful launches and landings.

B1060's previous ASDS landing was on June 17--53 day turnaround.

[zubenelgenubi]

First stage change for Starlink 4-26, according to NextSpaceFlight, updated August 3.
It's now 1073.3.

1069.2 will now launch Starlink 4-20, same source.

[Orbiter]

T/E has picked up the reaction frame for, presumably, this launch.

[oldAtlas_Eguy]

T/E has picked up the reaction frame for, presumably, this launch.

Schedule wise this action supports the 9 Aug launch date nearly perfectly from average past timelines.

[Ken the Bin]

NGA notice.

012317Z AUG 22
NAVAREA IV 763/22(11,26).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   092249Z TO 100316Z AUG, ALTERNATE
   102227Z TO 110254Z, 112206Z TO 120233Z,
   122144Z TO 130201Z, 132123Z TO 140150Z,
   142101Z TO 150128Z AND 152039Z TO
   160106Z AUG IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 28-35.85N 080-35.05W, 28-38.06N 080-37.02W,
      28-38.26N 080-37.16W, 28-38.58N 080-37.40W,
      28-44.00N 080-34.00W, 28-52.00N 080-23.00W,
      28-50.00N 080-20.00W, 28-47.00N 080-18.00W,
      28-38.00N 080-24.00W, 28-30.46N 080-33.02W.
   B. 32-04.00N 076-59.00W, 33-17.00N 076-03.00W,
      33-31.00N 074-59.00W, 33-10.00N 074-36.00W,
      32-27.00N 074-46.00W, 31-35.00N 076-37.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 160206Z AUG 22.//

[zubenelgenubi]

Launch time from Ben Cooper's Launch Photography Viewing Guide, August 4 update:

Then, a Falcon 9 from pad 39A will launch a Starlink batch on August 9 at 6:59pm EDT.

= 22:59 UTC

[Rondaz]

#Falcon9 #B1073.2 has been spotted heading towards Hanger X at Cape Canaveral.

https://twitter.com/DELTA_V/status/1545476606822842368