Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : Starlink group 5-2 : CCSFS SLC-40 : 26 January 2023 (09:32 UTC) (Read 31974 times)

GewoonLukas_ · « **Reply #80 on:** 01/26/2023 12:32 pm »

Quote

Falcon 9 launches to orbit 56 Starlink satellites—weighing in total more than 17.4 metric tons—marking the heaviest payload ever flown on Falcon

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1618598959840366593

ChrisC · « **Reply #81 on:** 01/26/2023 01:19 pm »

Congratulations SpaceX team on yet another incremental improvement of their workhorse rocket's performance. And thank you NASA for signing off on / not standing in the way of these tweaks to the system that is used to launch their astronauts. They could have chosen to insist on a design freeze once SpaceX's CCP solution was certified after Demo-2 ...

I'm looking forward to OneSpeed's analysis again, to see if they changed anything in the flight plan, e.g. the throttle bucket.

Did this go to precisely the same orbit as the previous comparable flight, or maybe a little lower?

DanClemmensen · « **Reply #82 on:** 01/26/2023 01:34 pm »

Quote from: ChrisC on 01/26/2023 01:19 pm

Congratulations SpaceX team on yet another incremental improvement of their workhorse rocket's performance. And thank you NASA for signing off on / not standing in the way of these tweaks to the system that is used to launch their astronauts. They could have chosen to insist on a design freeze once SpaceX's CCP solution was certified after Demo-2 ...

SpaceX launches two CCP (i.e., "NASA astronaut") missions a year, and this is supposed to drop to one per year. If NASA had forced a freeze, SpaceX might have chosen to use one or two boosters with the frozen design while continuing to improve the rest of the fleet. Fortunately, this did not happen. All this is might-have-been and therefore not very productive. SpaceX might have declined to extend past the original option of six CCP flights using the "frozen" design to induce NASA to accept the newer boosters. Starliner might have flown in 2021. The Russians might have declined to extend ISS past 2024.

Fortunately, NASA made (what appears to be) the right choice. Of course, it's easier when you can choose flight-proven boosters after the tweaks are made.

wannamoonbase · « **Reply #83 on:** 01/26/2023 01:59 pm »

Quote from: GewoonLukas_ on 01/26/2023 12:32 pm

Quote
Falcon 9 launches to orbit 56 Starlink satellites—weighing in total more than 17.4 metric tons—marking the heaviest payload ever flown on Falcon

17.4 Metric Tons, what an accomplishment. I suspect the lower inclination of Shell 5 helps with the mass increase, but they just keep squeezing more out of F9 when they can.

Very impressive.

Edit: Also, 5th and 6th flight of fairing halves, they've come along way on that reuse project.

scr00chy · « **Reply #84 on:** 01/26/2023 05:35 pm »

https://twitter.com/ElonXnet/status/1618559274845700096

jcm · « **Reply #85 on:** 01/26/2023 08:17 pm »

Quote from: wannamoonbase on 01/26/2023 01:59 pm

Quote from: GewoonLukas_ on 01/26/2023 12:32 pm
Quote
Falcon 9 launches to orbit 56 Starlink satellites—weighing in total more than 17.4 metric tons—marking the heaviest payload ever flown on Falcon

17.4 Metric Tons, what an accomplishment. I suspect the lower inclination of Shell 5 helps with the mass increase, but they just keep squeezing more out of F9 when they can.

Very impressive.

Edit: Also, 5th and 6th flight of fairing halves, they've come along way on that reuse project.

Would be great if we had even a rough estimate for the mass of the tension rods, which I assume are included in this 17.4t value. They're not much, but would give us a more accurate estimate of the per-sat mass

matthewkantar · « **Reply #86 on:** 01/26/2023 09:41 pm »

Quote from: jcm on 01/26/2023 08:17 pm

Quote from: wannamoonbase on 01/26/2023 01:59 pm
Quote from: GewoonLukas_ on 01/26/2023 12:32 pm
Quote
Falcon 9 launches to orbit 56 Starlink satellites—weighing in total more than 17.4 metric tons—marking the heaviest payload ever flown on Falcon

17.4 Metric Tons, what an accomplishment. I suspect the lower inclination of Shell 5 helps with the mass increase, but they just keep squeezing more out of F9 when they can.

Very impressive.

Edit: Also, 5th and 6th flight of fairing halves, they've come along way on that reuse project.

Would be great if we had even a rough estimate for the mass of the tension rods, which I assume are included in this 17.4t value. They're not much, but would give us a more accurate estimate of the per-sat mass

Is there some mass between the top of the second stage and the sats that is counted as payload?

Just curious, why would you need a more accurate figure than 310 kg +/- a kilo or two?

jcm · « **Reply #87 on:** 01/26/2023 09:52 pm »

Quote from: matthewkantar on 01/26/2023 09:41 pm

Quote from: jcm on 01/26/2023 08:17 pm
Quote from: wannamoonbase on 01/26/2023 01:59 pm
Quote from: GewoonLukas_ on 01/26/2023 12:32 pm
Quote
Falcon 9 launches to orbit 56 Starlink satellites—weighing in total more than 17.4 metric tons—marking the heaviest payload ever flown on Falcon

17.4 Metric Tons, what an accomplishment. I suspect the lower inclination of Shell 5 helps with the mass increase, but they just keep squeezing more out of F9 when they can.

Very impressive.

Edit: Also, 5th and 6th flight of fairing halves, they've come along way on that reuse project.

Would be great if we had even a rough estimate for the mass of the tension rods, which I assume are included in this 17.4t value. They're not much, but would give us a more accurate estimate of the per-sat mass

Is there some mass between the top of the second stage and the sats that is counted as payload?

Just curious, why would you need a more accurate figure than 310 kg +/- a kilo or two?

The 4 tension rods keep the sats from springing away prematrely. THey are wrapped around the sats.
Why would I need...? Because I am obsessive. And because it's interesting to track the increase on the sat mass with different versions.
And because a few kg per sat add up when you total 3000 - or ultimately 30000 - satellites

AmigaClone · « **Reply #88 on:** 01/26/2023 09:55 pm »

I find it interesting that the recent list of heaviest payloads launched by a member of the Falcon 9 family in it's various configurations involved a Falcon 9 booster landing on a barge.

OneSpeed · « **Reply #89 on:** 01/26/2023 10:00 pm »

Here is a comparison of the second stage webcast telemetry from the Starlink 2-4 (70°), 4-31 (53.2°) and 5-2 (43°) missions.

Because of the SpaceX telemetry inertial frame of reference, the velocities at SECO are 7,661, 7,520 and 7,472 m/s respectively. These differences reflect the difference in ΔV required to reach those orbital inclinations, even though in the orbital frame of reference, the velocities are the same, at about 7,820m/s.

They also reflect the differences in payload with 51, 53 and 56 satellites respectively.

edkyle99 · « **Reply #90 on:** 01/26/2023 11:23 pm »

Quote from: AmigaClone on 01/26/2023 09:55 pm

I find it interesting that the recent list of heaviest payloads launched by a member of the Falcon 9 family in it's various configurations involved a Falcon 9 booster landing on a barge.

SpaceX still lists 22.8 tonnes as the Falcon 9 LEO payload capability on its web site. Presumably that would be for a fully expended vehicle, to a low inclination orbit, etc., but since that number is a few years old, I wonder what it would be now. Then again, does the U.S. even have any LEO payloads this heavy? I think not.

My guess is that the 17.4 tonnes includes the PAF and the tension rods along with the satellites, so maybe subtract 200, 300, or 400-ish kg.

- Ed Kyle

crandles57 · « **Reply #91 on:** 01/26/2023 11:46 pm »

Quote from: AmigaClone on 01/26/2023 09:55 pm

I find it interesting that the recent list of heaviest payloads launched by a member of the Falcon 9 family in it's various configurations involved a Falcon 9 booster landing on a barge.

The B5 expended boosters (bar in flight abort) are all going to GTO where you can use extra propellant to get nearer to GEO and extend life of satellites. Less mass is done to GTO than to LEO. LEO mass is high enough that to test that, it needs to be doing something large like a constellation where payload can be broken down more efficiently into more droneship landings rather than fewer expendable launches.

Seems straight forward rather than interesting?

.

How much could 17400kg be increased if launching to best possible (28.4?) degree inclination rather than 43 degree inclination?

kevin-rf · « **Reply #92 on:** 01/27/2023 12:50 am »

We should have a closer data point when they start launching to the 33 degree shell.

OneSpeed · « **Reply #93 on:** 01/27/2023 03:10 am »

Quote from: crandles57 on 01/26/2023 11:46 pm

How much could 17400kg be increased if launching to best possible (28.4?) degree inclination rather than 43 degree inclination?

This is very rough, but from β = asin(cos(mi)/cos(ϕ)) and Vorbital = Vinertial - Vearth

From a latitude (ϕ) of 28.5° to a circular orbit:

Inclination (°)_	ΔV (m/s)_	Satellites_	Payload (t)
70	7,641	51	15.8
53.2	7,518	54	16.7
43	7,453	56	17.4
33	7,401	58	18.0
28.5	7,382	59	18.3

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #94 on:** 01/28/2023 02:03 pm »

https://twitter.com/spaceoffshore/status/1619350055814561792

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SpaceX support ship Bob should arrive at Port Canaveral this afternoon after supporting Starlink 5-2.

Hopefully carrying a fairing half... or two....

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #95 on:** 01/28/2023 06:29 pm »

https://twitter.com/spaceoffshore/status/1619416871589281793

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Arrival! Bob returns with a haul of Falcon 9 fairing halves from SpaceX's Starlink 5-2 mission!

🔴🎥 nsf.live/spacecoast

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #96 on:** 01/29/2023 06:42 am »

https://twitter.com/spaceoffshore/status/1619462826816323584

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Just Read the Instructions and Falcon 9 B1067 should arrive at Port Canaveral in the early hours of Sunday morning.

With conflicting cruise traffic, JRTI may be holding off until after ~6am to enter the port.