SpaceX F9 : Starlink 7-4 : VSFB SLC-4E : 9 October 2023 (07:43 UTC)

[zubenelgenubi]

Thread for the Starlink Group 7-4 launch.

Launch 9 October 2023, 07:43:00 UTC (12:43 am PDT), from Vandenberg SLC-4E, on booster 1063-14.  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]

Cross-posts:

1430-EX-ST-2023  SpaceX Mission 2186 Starlink Group 7-4
Vandenberg, NET September [Sep 1]
ASDS  North  29  52  50   West  116  45  3

1573-EX-ST-2023  SpaceX Mission 2186 Starlink Group 7-4 Dogleg Trajectory
Vandenberg, NET September [Sep 4]
ASDS  North  28  55  50   West  119  5  24

https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7252

Starlink Group 7-4
Launch Time
NET October, 2023
...
SLC-4E, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA

This is possibly the next Vandenberg Falcon 9 launch, following the September 25 UTC Starlink 7-3 launch.

Launch NET early October, with pad and OCISLY turnarounds in play.  Also assumes Starlink 8-1 is not next.  SARah 2/3 and WorldView Legion 1/2 are also NET October.

Launch trajectory: dogleg or no dogleg?  Dogleg option was not used for 7-2.

Edit September 19: No dogleg.

[Ken the Bin]

Cross-post:

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

It looks like these notices may be meant to cover multiple launches because they have no times and they run through the end of October.

170358Z SEP 23
HYDROPAC 2991/23(22).
EASTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06, DNC 07.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   24 SEP THRU 31 OCT IN AREA BOUND BY
   34-20.00S 090-24.00W, 31-22.00S 090-24.00W,
   00-10.00S 115-17.00W, 01-19.00S 116-54.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 010001Z NOV 23.

170358Z SEP 23
NAVAREA XII 649/23(22).
EASTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   24 SEP THRU 31 OCT IN AREA BOUND BY
   34-20.00S 090-24.00W, 31-22.00S 090-24.00W,
   00-10.00S 115-17.00W, 01-19.00S 116-54.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 010001Z NOV 23.

[OneSpeed]

Launch trajectory: dogleg or no dogleg?  Dogleg option was not used for 7-2.

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

It looks like these notices may be meant to cover multiple launches because they have no times and they run through the end of October.

From the NGA notices, the longitude of the descending node is identical for Starlinks 7-2, 7-3 and 7-4. From that, these launches should all be identical, i.e. no (significant) dogleg.

[Ken the Bin]

Cross-post:

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

It looks like these notices may be meant to cover multiple launches because they have no times and they run through the end of October.

170358Z SEP 23
HYDROPAC 2991/23(22).
EASTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06, DNC 07.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   24 SEP THRU 31 OCT IN AREA BOUND BY
   34-20.00S 090-24.00W, 31-22.00S 090-24.00W,
   00-10.00S 115-17.00W, 01-19.00S 116-54.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 010001Z NOV 23.

170358Z SEP 23
NAVAREA XII 649/23(22).
EASTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   24 SEP THRU 31 OCT IN AREA BOUND BY
   34-20.00S 090-24.00W, 31-22.00S 090-24.00W,
   00-10.00S 115-17.00W, 01-19.00S 116-54.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 010001Z NOV 23.

I received another NGA notice, but these one has a time of 0001Z TO 2359Z DAILY. It does not cancel the prior HYDROPAC notice.

I received the notice several hours ago and have been waiting to see if I would get the same thing for NAVAREA XII, but so far nothing.

201622Z SEP 23
HYDROPAC 3005/23(22).
EASTERN SOUTH PACIFIC.
DNC 06, DNC 07.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   0001Z TO 2359Z DAILY 24 SEP THRU 31 OCT
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   34-20.00S 090-24.00W, 31-22.00S 090-24.00W,
   00-10.00S 115-17.00W, 01-19.00S 116-54.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 010059Z NOV 23.

[zubenelgenubi]

This could be the next Falcon 9 Vandenberg launch.  Or not.

We'll see 👀 if it's Starlink 7-4, Starlink 8-1, or SARah 2/3.

(We didn't receive confirmation that SARah 1 had been delivered to Vandenberg until five days before launch.)

Edit September 28: It's Starlink 7-4.


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:
1061.16   Aug 22 (after "deep" inspection?)
1063.14   Sep 2
1071.12   Sep 12 (maybe)

Edit October 6: It's B1063.14, skipping over B1061.16.

[realnouns]

https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7252

Starlink Group 7-4
Launch Time
NET Oct 07, 2023
...
SLC-4E, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA

[Galactic Penguin SST]

https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7252

Starlink Group 7-4
Launch Time
NET Oct 07, 2023
...
SLC-4E, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA

1st stage landing zone NOTAM with window at 07:06 - 11:25 UTC on October 7th:
A8106/23 NOTAMN
Q) MMFR/QRDCA/IV/BO/W/000/999/
A) MMFR
B) 2310070706
C) 2310130916
D) 07 0706-1125, 08 0644-1104, 09 0623-1042, 10 0601-1021,
11 0540-0959, 12 0518-0938, 13 0457-0916
E) DANGEROUS AREA FOR REENTRY OF ROCKET FALCON 9 STARLINK 7-4 STAGE 1
LATERAL LIMIT AREA FORMED BY THE UNION OF THE FOLLOWING POINTS: 29 01N 116 37W
29 20N 116 53W
30 45N 117 34W
31 00N 117 34W 31 00N 117 19W 30 25N 116 41W 29 48N 116 10W 29 23N 116 02W 29 01N 116 37W MMFR
F) SFC G) UNL

[OneSpeed]

1st stage landing zone NOTAM with window at 07:06 - 11:25 UTC on October 7th:

Map from the NOTAM. ASDS 641km downrange.

Edit:

NGA Space Debris notice for the booster.

Overlay of the booster Space Debris area (yellow) and the NOTAM area (amber).

[realnouns]

https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7252

Starlink Group 7-4
Launch Time
Sat Oct 7, 2023 3:06 AM EDT

12:06 am PDT = 07:06 UTC

[Ken the Bin]

NGA Space Debris notice for the booster.

Posted earlier in this topic are NGA Space Debris notices for the second stage that run through the end of the month and are apparently meant to cover multiple missions.

292122Z SEP 23
NAVAREA XII 697/23(21).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
MEXICO.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   070706Z TO 071125Z OCT, ALTERNATE
   080644Z TO 081104Z, 090623Z TO 091042Z,
   100601Z TO 101021Z, 110540Z TO 110959Z,
   120518Z TO 120938Z AND 130457Z TO 130916Z OCT
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   30-32.00N 117-12.00W, 29-55.00N 116-17.00W,
   29-44.00N 116-09.00W, 29-24.00N 116-10.00W,
   29-14.00N 116-35.00W, 29-27.00N 116-48.00W,
   30-31.00N 117-14.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 131016Z OCT 23.

[Ken the Bin]

Postponed TBD per this NGA notice canceling the booster Space Debris notice (probably because of the nasty weather brewing in the area of the booster landing).

022244Z OCT 23
NAVAREA XII 698/23(21).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
MEXICO.
CANCEL NAVAREA XII 697/23 AND THIS MSG, OPERATIONS POSTPONED.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7252

Starlink Group 7-4
Launch Time
NET Oct 07, 2023
...
SLC-4E, Vandenberg SFB, California, USA

1st stage landing zone NOTAM with window at 07:06 - 11:25 UTC on October 7th:
A8106/23 NOTAMN
Q) MMFR/QRDCA/IV/BO/W/000/999/
A) MMFR
B) 2310070706
C) 2310130916
D) 07 0706-1125, 08 0644-1104, 09 0623-1042, 10 0601-1021,
11 0540-0959, 12 0518-0938, 13 0457-0916
E) DANGEROUS AREA FOR REENTRY OF ROCKET FALCON 9 STARLINK 7-4 STAGE 1
LATERAL LIMIT AREA FORMED BY THE UNION OF THE FOLLOWING POINTS: 29 01N 116 37W
29 20N 116 53W
30 45N 117 34W
31 00N 117 34W 31 00N 117 19W 30 25N 116 41W 29 48N 116 10W 29 23N 116 02W 29 01N 116 37W MMFR
F) SFC G) UNL

Still active at this time, I guess any slip will still be before the 13th.

[Ken the Bin]

The disturbance is now Tropical Storm Lidia, expected to be Hurricane Lidia by October 7.

[realnouns]

https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/7252

Starlink Group 7-4
Launch Time
Mon Oct 9, 2023 3:13 AM EDT

Oct 9 @ 12:13am PT = 07:13 UTC
2 day delay

[Ken the Bin]

The disturbance is now Tropical Storm Lidia, expected to be Hurricane Lidia by October 7.

It looks like Lidia is probably not going to reach hurricane status.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

A8342/23 NOTAMR A8106/23
Q) MMFR/QRRCA/IV/BO/W/000/999/
A) MMFR
B) 2310090713
C) 2310150924
D) 9 0713-1133, 10 0652-1111, 11 0630-1050, 12 0609-1028,
   13 0547-1007, 14 0526-0945, 15 0504-0924
E) DANGEROUS AREA FOR REENTRY OF ROCKET FALCON 9 STARLINK 7-4 STAGE 1
   LATERAL LIMIT: AREA FORMED BY THE UNION OF THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
   29 01N  116 37W
   29 20N  116 53W
   30 45N  117 34W
   31 00N  117 34W
   31 00N  117 19W
   30 25N  116 41W
   29 48N  116 10W
   29 23N  116 02W
   29 01N  116 37W
   FIR MEXICO (MMFR)
F) SFC
G) UNL

[catdlr]

[Martin_G]

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

SPACE X STARLINK 7-4 VANDENBERG, CA
PRIMARY:   10/09/23   0713Z-1133Z
BACKUP:      10/10/23   0652Z-1111Z
      10/11/23   0630Z-1050Z
      10/12/23   0609Z-1028Z
      10/13/23   0547Z-1007Z
      10/14/23   0526Z-0945Z
      10/15/23   0504Z-0924Z

[Ken the Bin]

New NGA Space Debris notice for the booster.

050918Z OCT 23
NAVAREA XII 701/23(21).
EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC.
MEXICO.
1. HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS, SPACE DEBRIS
   090713Z TO 091133Z OCT, ALTERNATE 
   100652Z TO 101111Z, 110630Z TO 111050Z, 
   120609Z TO 121028Z, 130547Z TO 131007Z, 
   140526Z TO 140945Z AND 150504Z TO 150924Z OCT 
   IN AREA BOUND BY
   30-32.00N 117-12.00W, 29-55.00N 116-17.00W,
   29-44.00N 116-09.00W, 29-24.00N 116-10.00W,
   29-14.00N 116-35.00W, 29-27.00N 116-48.00W,
   30-31.00N 117-14.00W.
2. CANCEL THIS MSG 151024Z OCT 23.//