Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : Starlink 7-2 : VSFB SLC-4E : 12 September 2023 (06:57 UTC) (Read 21227 times)

zubenelgenubi · « **on:** 08/21/2023 06:52 pm »

Thread for the Starlink Group 7-2 launch.

Launch 12 September 2023, at 06:57:50 UTC (11:57 pm PDT, 11 September), from Vandenberg SLC-4E, on booster 1071-11. The first stage successfully landed aboard Of Course I Still Love You.

Payload 21 Starlink V2 Mini satellites to 53 degree inclination orbit on a southeastern trajectory, no substantial dogleg. Initial orbit 286 x 297 km.

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

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #1 on:** 08/21/2023 07:02 pm »

Cross-posts:

Quote from: gongora on 08/01/2023 11:13 pm

Quote from: gongora on 07/09/2023 08:43 pm
1428-EX-ST-2023 SpaceX Mission 2184 Starlink Group 7-2
Vandenberg, NET August [20]
ASDS North 29 52 50 West 116 45 3

1571-EX-ST-2023 SpaceX Mission 2184 Starlink Group 7-2 Dogleg Trajectory

Vandenberg, NET September [1]
ASDS North 28 55 50 West 119 5 24

This is likely the Vandenberg Falcon 9 launch following the August 30 SDA launch. That previous launch is a first stage RTLS, so OCISLY turnaround is not an issue--NET early September.

Launch trajectory: dogleg or no dogleg?

No other specific recent news about the first WorldView Legion launch, also NET September.

Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 08/13/2023 11:09 pm

NextSpaceflight, updated August 13:
Launch NET September

OneSpeed · « **Reply #2 on:** 08/22/2023 03:53 am »

Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 08/21/2023 07:02 pm

Launch trajectory: dogleg or no dogleg?

Here is a speculative map from the two ASDS positions, and assuming a 53° orbital inclination. I've superimposed the Starlink 7-1 and 6-20 areas, and they seem to align well. My guess is that the more recently posted (dogleg) ASDS coordinates are more likely to be correct, and the payload will be reduced to about 18 satellites.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #3 on:** 09/01/2023 03:25 am »

Which first stage will be used for this launch? (semi-rhetorical question)

The May 16 press briefing revealed Falcon 9 first stages are now cleared for use up to twenty times for Starlink launches.

Available first stages, with UTC date of most recent recovery:
1071.11 Jul 20
1075.6 Aug 8

Edit September 11: It's B1071.11.

zubenelgenubi · « **Reply #4 on:** 09/02/2023 10:05 pm »

September 2: SDA Tranche 0B launched successfully, also with successful first stage RTLS landing. How many days are needed for SLC-4E turnaround?

Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 08/21/2023 07:02 pm

This is likely the Vandenberg Falcon 9 launch following the August 30 SDA launch. That previous launch is a first stage RTLS, so OCISLY turnaround is not an issue--launch NET early September.

cpushack · « **Reply #5 on:** 09/02/2023 10:20 pm »

Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 09/02/2023 10:05 pm

September 2: SDA Tranche 0B launched successfully, also with successful first stage RTLS landing. How many days are needed for SLC-4E turnaround?
Quote from: zubenelgenubi on 08/21/2023 07:02 pm
This is likely the Vandenberg Falcon 9 launch following the August 30 SDA launch. That previous launch is a first stage RTLS, so OCISLY turnaround is not an issue--launch NET early September.

From user shiro after the SDA launch

Quote from: shiro on 09/02/2023 06:37 pm

Launchpad SLC-4E turnaround time: 11 days 4 hours 48 minutes
(the previous launch from this pad was Starlink Group 7-1 on Aug 8, 2023).

It's currently the 4th best turnaround time for this launchpad
(the record is still 9 days 9 hours and 44 minutes between Transporter-8 and Starlink Group 5-7 launches).

FYI: median turnaround time for SLC-4E is currently 14.87 days *
* – based on the last 30 launches.

Ken the Bin · « **Reply #6 on:** 09/07/2023 01:44 pm »

NGA Space Debris notices (the same notice for two different Navigational Areas).

Quote from: NGA

070852Z SEP 23
HYDROPAC 2882/23(22).
EASTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06, DNC 07.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS 
   0708Z TO 1317Z DAILY 12 THRU 18 SEP
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   00-10.00S 115-17.00W, 01-19.00S 116-54.00W,
   34-20.00S 090-24.00W, 31-22.00S 090-24.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 181417Z SEP 23.//

Quote from: NGA

070852Z SEP 23
NAVAREA XII 615/23(22).
EASTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   0708Z TO 1317Z DAILY 12 THRU 18 SEP
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   00-10.00S 115-17.00W, 01-19.00S 116-54.00W,
   34-20.00S 090-24.00W, 31-22.00S 090-24.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 181417Z SEP 23.//

OneSpeed · « **Reply #7 on:** 09/07/2023 02:15 pm »

Quote from: Ken the Bin on 09/07/2023 01:44 pm

NGA Space Debris notices (the same notice for two different Navigational Areas).

Map from the Space Debris notices. The area may still be incomplete, but the orbital inclination is about 55°.

EDIT:

Quote from: Ken the Bin on 09/07/2023 10:26 pm

The booster NGA Space Debris notice.

Map from the NGA notice. ASDS 642km downrange.

Ken the Bin · « **Reply #8 on:** 09/07/2023 10:26 pm »

The booster NGA Space Debris notice.

Quote from: NGA

071850Z SEP 23
NAVAREA XII 617/23(21).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
MEXICO.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   120647Z TO 121107Z, 130716Z TO 131136Z,
   140655Z TO 141114Z, 150633Z TO 151053Z,
   160612Z TO 161031Z, 170550Z TO 171010Z
   AND 180529Z TO 180948Z SEP
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   30-33.00N 117-11.00W, 30-31.00N 117-14.00W,
   29-21.00N 116-52.00W, 29-02.00N 116-38.00W,
   29-20.00N 116-04.00W, 29-42.00N 116-09.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 181048Z SEP 23.

VLN · « **Reply #9 on:** 09/08/2023 02:50 am »

Quote from: Ken the Bin on 09/07/2023 10:26 pm

The booster NGA Space Debris notice.

Quote from: NGA
071850Z SEP 23
NAVAREA XII 617/23(21).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
MEXICO.
...

Indeed, the heading is 145 deg, consistent with an inclination about 55 deg.
This is what it looks like:

realnouns · « **Reply #10 on:** 09/08/2023 01:08 pm »

Quote from: Salo on 09/07/2023 11:01 pm

https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7250
Quote
Starlink Group 7-2
Launch Time
Tue Sep 12, 2023 07:00 GMT

realnouns · « **Reply #11 on:** 09/10/2023 12:52 am »

Scorpius + OCISLY departed PoLB on Sep 9 @ 5:43pm PT (8:43pm ET)

realnouns · « **Reply #12 on:** 09/10/2023 05:53 pm »

Go Crusader departed PoLB on Sep 10 @ 12:15am PT / 3:15am ET

Martin_G · « **Reply #13 on:** 09/10/2023 08:15 pm »

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt.jsp:

Quote

SPACE X STARLINK 7-2 VANDENBERG SFB, CA
PRIMARY -09/12/23 0647-1107Z
BACKUP -09/13/23 0716-1136Z

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #14 on:** 09/11/2023 12:07 am »

https://twitter.com/spaceoffshore/status/1700964294475542872

Quote

OCISLY droneship and support ship GO Beyond are well underway from the next West Coast Starlink mission - NET Sep 12.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #15 on:** 09/11/2023 05:27 am »

https://twitter.com/tskelso/status/1701095144962084963

Quote

CelesTrak has pre-launch SupGP data for the #Starlink Group 7-2 launch from Vandenberg SFB on 2023-09-12 at 06:57:50 UTC: celestrak.org/NORAD/elements…. Deployment of 21 satellites is set for 08:00:18.480 UTC. Data for 4 backup launch opportunities is also provided.

Martin_G · « **Reply #16 on:** 09/11/2023 12:12 pm »

Quote from: Martin_G on 09/10/2023 08:15 pm

https://www.fly.faa.gov/adv/adv_spt.jsp:

Quote
SPACE X STARLINK 7-2 VANDENBERG SFB, CA
PRIMARY -09/12/23 0647-1107Z
BACKUP -09/13/23 0716-1136Z

More Backup options now:

Quote

SPACE X STARLINK 7-2 VANDENBERG SFB, CA
PRIMARY:   09/12/23    0647-1107Z
BACKUP:      09/13/23    0716-1136Z
      09/14/23   0655-1114Z
      09/15/23   0633-1031Z
      09/16/23   0615-1031Z
      09/17/23   0550-1010Z
      09/18/23   0529-0948Z

GewoonLukas_ · « **Reply #17 on:** 09/11/2023 08:04 pm »

Quote

SpaceX is targeting Monday, September 11 at 11:57 p.m. PT (06:57 UTC on September 12) for a Falcon 9 launch of 21 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. If needed, four backup opportunities are available on Tuesday, September 12 starting at 12:48 a.m. PT (07:48 UTC) until 3:20 a.m. PT (10:20 UTC). Five backup opportunities are also currently available on Wednesday, September 13 starting at 12:26 a.m. PT (07:26 UTC) until 3:49 a.m. PT (10:49 UTC).

This is the 11th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, and five Starlink missions. (=B1071-11) Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which will be stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

A live webcast of this mission will begin on X @SpaceX about five minutes prior to liftoff.

https://www.spacex.com/launches/mission/?missionId=sl-7-2

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #18 on:** 09/11/2023 11:25 pm »

PDF of online press kit. The five UTC launch times for today are

06:57:50
07:48:30
08:39:10
09:29:50
10:20:20

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #19 on:** 09/12/2023 03:36 am »

https://twitter.com/nasaspaceflight/status/1701424559944069446

Quote

Two more launches are coming up, and you won't be shocked to hear they are both Falcon 9 launches with Starlinks.

Trevor Sensic (@124970MeV) with the details:

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2023/09/starlink-7-2-6-14/

Re SLC-4E:

Quote

teams have drastically been increasing the launch cadence out of the pad; in the middle of 2022, the pad turnaround time averaged nearly 40 days. By the start of 2023, this was brought down to roughly three weeks between flights. The pad now averages 11-13 days between missions.