Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : Starlink group 7-16 : VSFB SLC-4E : 18/19 March 2024 (02:28 UTC) (Read 19014 times)

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #40 on:** 03/19/2024 01:29 am »

T+1 minute.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #41 on:** 03/19/2024 01:30 am »

T+2 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #42 on:** 03/19/2024 01:32 am »

First stage separation.

Ignition.

T+3 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #43 on:** 03/19/2024 01:32 am »

Fairing separation (not shown).

T+4 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #44 on:** 03/19/2024 01:33 am »

T+5 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #45 on:** 03/19/2024 01:34 am »

T+6 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #46 on:** 03/19/2024 01:35 am »

Entry burn.

T+7 minutes.

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #47 on:** 03/19/2024 01:36 am »

T+8 minutes. Landing burn.

ZachS09 · « **Reply #48 on:** 03/19/2024 01:37 am »

Quote from: Steven Pietrobon on 03/19/2024 01:32 am

Fairing separation (not shown).

T+4 minutes.

Technical difficulties with the Stage 2 camera?

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #49 on:** 03/19/2024 01:37 am »

Touchdown!

Cutoff.

End of webcast.

ApolloLee · « **Reply #50 on:** 03/19/2024 01:37 am »

From St. George, Utah via stgnews.com

Ghoti · « **Reply #51 on:** 03/19/2024 01:38 am »

Quote from: ZachS09 on 03/19/2024 01:37 am

Quote from: Steven Pietrobon on 03/19/2024 01:32 am
Fairing separation (not shown).

T+4 minutes.

Technical difficulties with the Stage 2 camera?

Starshield payloads maybe?

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #52 on:** 03/19/2024 01:38 am »

Upcoming events.

00:53:22 2nd stage engine starts (SES-2)
00:53:24 2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-2)
01:02:17 Starlink satellites deploy

hartspace · « **Reply #53 on:** 03/19/2024 01:40 am »

Fantastic view from SoCal. Great, bright plume. Saw staging and could follow the 1st stage through entry burn. Probably the best I've seen from here in OC.

catdlr · « **Reply #54 on:** 03/19/2024 01:42 am »

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1769916156196851770

Quote

And the booster lands again.

What SpaceX calls "a Monday".

AirmanPika · « **Reply #55 on:** 03/19/2024 02:08 am »

Seeing the payload fairings fall away was a nice touch.

Galactic Penguin SST · « **Reply #56 on:** 03/19/2024 02:12 am »

BTW it looks all but certain to me that 2 out of 22 Starlink satellites on just-launched Group 7-16 are actually “Starshield” sats of the US military:
* Mysterious drop outs in live camera feeds from the 2nd stage during ascent
* No forward looking camera views seen as per usual practices
* CelesTrak only getting names of 20 satellites despite SpaceX saying 22 has launched
* This launch is targeting 306 x 316 km, somewhat higher than the 276 x 285 usually used for Group 7 launches lately. And despite this orbit insertion was at an astonishing low 138 km when recent Group 7 launches have SECO-1 at ~152 km high.

catdlr · « **Reply #57 on:** 03/19/2024 02:13 am »

These two posts illustrate the wind shear dynamics of how upper-level winds twist the smoke trail in different directions depending upon wind direction.

https://twitter.com/BrianDouglasKNX/status/1769917957952692525

Quote

The contrail from tonight’s @SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket launch, which took off from Vandenberg SFB, California. The rocket’s contrail could be seen over a large swath of SoCal, and beyond. I got outside just in-time to hear the sonic booms and get a few images!

https://twitter.com/SPORTSSHOOTER3/status/1769924873877639175

Steven Pietrobon · « **Reply #58 on:** 03/19/2024 02:21 am »

T+53 minutes and 22 seconds. Expected ignition for two seconds.

catdlr · « **Reply #59 on:** 03/19/2024 02:22 am »

Quote from: Galactic Penguin SST on 03/19/2024 02:12 am

BTW it looks all but certain to me that 2 out of 22 Starlink satellites on just-launched Group 7-16 are actually “Starshield” sats of the US military:
* Mysterious drop outs in live camera feeds from the 2nd stage during ascent
* No forward looking camera views seen as per usual practices
* CelesTrak only getting names of 20 satellites despite SpaceX saying 22 has launched
* This launch is targeting 306 x 316 km, somewhat higher than the 276 x 285 usually used for Group 7 launches lately. And despite this orbit insertion was at an astonishing low 138 km when recent Group 7 launches have SECO-1 at ~152 km high.

Galactic,

Great catch and explains the difference for this video. Appreciate the deduction.

Maybe the two at the top of the stack are the Starshield and then an orbit adjustment later to place the Starlink to their proper orbit height?

Tony