Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : Starlink 4-20 & Varuna : CCSFS SLC-40 : 4/5 Sep 2022 (02:09 UTC) (Read 46063 times)

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #20 on:** 08/12/2022 01:23 am »

Cross-post:

Quote from: Alexphysics on 08/10/2022 10:10 pm

If this is of any use... order of launches for August and first half of September was supposed to be

KPLO (already launched)
Starlink 4-26 (already launched)
Starlink 3-3 (currently scheduled for August 12th)
Starlink 4-27 (currently scheduled for August 16th)
Starlink 3-4
Starlink 4-23 (currently scheduled for August 24th)
Starlink 4-20
Starlink 4-2

I was and I'm still expecting 3-4 and 4-20 to be on for this month. Likely to have 3-4 around the 20th +- a couple of days and 4-20 could likely be anywhere from August 25th to 31st given pad turnaround times. But those are just guesses based on the expectation of those two happening this month. There's definitely room in the schedule for them.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #21 on:** 08/13/2022 12:25 am »

Now that we know that, as gongora surmised, BlueWalker 3 is on Starlink 4-2, and Varuna-TDM is not, what September Starlink Group 4 flight will the Sherpa/Varuna be on?

Might Starlink 4-20 also be a rideshare?

Or, might Starlink 4-24 also be a rideshare and brought forward from December?

AmigaClone · « **Reply #22 on:** 08/13/2022 05:22 am »

Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 08/13/2022 12:25 am

Now that we know that, as gongora surmised, BlueWalker 3 is on Starlink 4-2, and Varuna-TDM is not, what September Starlink Group 4 flight will the Sherpa/Varuna be on?

Might Starlink 4-20 also be a rideshare?

Or, might Starlink 4-24 also be a rideshare and brought forward from December?

I can see the possibility of both Starlink 4-20 and Starlink 4-24 being rideshare missions, one launching in September, the other one later this year

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #23 on:** 08/15/2022 09:01 pm »

SFN Launch Schedule update, August 15:
Starlink 4-20 launch early September.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #24 on:** 08/16/2022 05:53 am »

Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 08/15/2022 09:01 pm

SFN Launch Schedule update, August 15:
Starlink 4-20 launch early September.

Additional information from the same source, same date:
Rideshare is Sherpa-LTC2, with sole hosted payload Varuna-TDM.

There will be a reduction in the number of Starlink satellites orbited, but how many less has not yet been announced.

Also, separate launch threads merged.

gongora · « **Reply #25 on:** 08/17/2022 01:58 pm »

Quote

Astro Digital US, Inc. (“Astro Digital”) requests special temporary authority (“STA”)1 for a period of 30 days to communicate with the Varuna spacecraft (ELS File No. 0279-EX-CN-2022)2, which is owned and controlled by The Boeing Company (“Boeing”), commencing on the deployment of the satellite, which is presently scheduled for September 4, 2022. Astro Digital is providing TT&C ground station support for the Varuna mission.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #26 on:** 08/19/2022 01:55 am »

My suggestion for the 4-20 mascot: Tree Hugger, 🌳 from "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic."

Here she is in anthro form.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #27 on:** 08/20/2022 04:33 pm »

Ben Cooper's Launch Photography Viewing Guide, updated August 19:

Quote

A Falcon 9 will launch a Starlink batch from pad 40 on September 4.

Quote from: gongora on 08/17/2022 01:58 pm

Quote
Astro Digital US, Inc. (“Astro Digital”) requests special temporary authority (“STA”)1 for a period of 30 days to communicate with the Varuna spacecraft (ELS File No. 0279-EX-CN-2022)2, which is owned and controlled by The Boeing Company (“Boeing”), commencing on the deployment of the satellite, which is presently scheduled for September 4, 2022. Astro Digital is providing TT&C ground station support for the Varuna mission.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #28 on:** 08/23/2022 11:03 am »

SFN Launch Schedule update, August 22:
Starlink 4-20 launches September 5 00:32 UTC = September 4 8:32 pm EDT.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #29 on:** 08/25/2022 02:25 pm »

August 25; first stage change for Starlink 4-23:

Quote from: Alexphysics on 08/25/2022 12:56 pm

Apparently SpaceX pulled out a last minute change of booster. This is now B1069-2, explains why they're doing the static fire. 9 new engines for this booster.

Assuming simple swap, the first stage for Starlink 4-20 is now 1067.6.

Quote from: Alexphysics on 08/25/2022 02:42 pm

I think they just chose to use 69 since it was probably already at 40 undergoing processing for 4-20. 4-23 was originally scheduled to fly from 39A.

NextSpaceFlight confirms swap, updated August 25.

Edited

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #30 on:** 08/26/2022 03:57 pm »

Is a pad swap implied?

The pad designation for Starlink 4-20 disappeared from Ben Cooper's Launch Photography Viewing Guide, updated August 25?:

Quote

A Falcon 9 will launch a Starlink batch on September 4 at 8:32pm EDT.

If 1067.6 had already been delivered to LC-39A, might this launch move there to keep up the launch campaign pace?

The launch time intrudes into the launch window for Artemis I, but only if the first two launch times are unsuccessful: August 29 and September 2.

If Artemis I launch is delayed to September 5, perhaps 4-20 would be delayed one or two days?

A pad swap might further ripple through the subsequent September Florida Starlink launches, again to maintain launch cadence.

Or, Ben Cooper made a copy/paste mistake composing an update.

Edit August 31: "Pad 40" returns to the pertinent sentence.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #31 on:** 08/30/2022 09:48 pm »

Ben Cooper's Launch Photography Viewing Guide, updated August 30:

Quote

The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a Starlink batch on September 4 at 8:32pm or about 10pm EDT.

= September 5 00:32 UTC
= September 5 ~02:00 UTC

kevin-rf · « **Reply #32 on:** 08/31/2022 12:58 pm »

That should be nice for some good visible east coast passes :-)

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #33 on:** 08/31/2022 08:01 pm »

SLC-40 (re)confirmed:
Ben Cooper's Launch Photography Viewing Guide, updated August 31:

Quote

The next SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from pad 40 will launch a Starlink batch on September 4 at 8:32pm or about 10pm EDT.

Ken the Bin · « **Reply #34 on:** 09/01/2022 01:41 pm »

NGA Rocket Launching notice.

Quote from: NGA

311907Z AUG 22
NAVAREA IV 883/22(11,12,26).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
FLORIDA.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, ROCKET LAUNCHING
   050032Z TO 050257Z SEP, ALTERNATE
   060010Z TO 060236Z, 062348Z TO 070214Z,
   072327Z TO 080153Z, 082305Z TO 090131Z,
   092244Z TO 100110Z AND 102222Z TO 110048Z SEP
   IN AREAS BOUND BY:
   A. 28-39.13N 080-37.78W, 29-02.00N 080-13.00W,
      28-55.00N 080-07.00W, 28-34.00N 080-28.00W,
      28-32.35N 080-33.78W.
   B. 32-05.00N 077-03.00W, 33-26.00N 075-36.00W,
      33-46.00N 074-37.00W, 33-28.00N 074-17.00W,
      32-37.00N 074-45.00W, 31-38.00N 076-40.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 110148Z SEP 22.//