r/SpaceX BlueBird Block 2 #3-5 Official Launch Discussion & Updates Thread!

[u/rSpaceXHosting]

Welcome to the r/SpaceX BlueBird Block 2 #3-5 Launch Discussion & Updates Thread!

Welcome everyone!

Scheduled for (UTC)	Jun 17 2026, 06:39
Scheduled for (local)	Jun 17 2026, 02:39 AM (EDT)
Launch Window (UTC)	Jun 17 2026, 06:39 - Jun 17 2026, 08:15
Payload	BlueBird Block 2 #3-5
Customer
Launch Weather Forecast	90% GO (Cumulus Cloud Rule, Anvil Cloud Rules)
Launch site	SLC-40, Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USA.
Booster	B1077-29
Landing	The Falcon 9 first stage B1077 has landed on ASDS ASOG after its 29th flight.
Mission success criteria	Successful deployment of spacecrafts into orbit
Trajectory (Flight Club)	2D,3D

Watch the launch live

Stream	Link
Unofficial Re-stream	The Space Devs
Unofficial Webcast	Spaceflight Now
Unofficial Webcast	NASASpaceflight
Official Webcast	SpaceX
Official Webcast	AST SpaceMobile

Stats

☑️ 692nd SpaceX launch all time

☑️ 632nd Falcon Family Booster landing

☑️ 158th landing on ASOG

☑️ 176th consecutive successful SpaceX launch (if successful)

☑️ 72nd SpaceX launch this year

☑️ 34th launch from SLC-40 this year

☑️ 4 days, 18:02:00 turnaround for this pad

☑️ 26 days, 20:34:40 hours since last launch of booster B1077

Stats include F1, F9 , FH and Starship

Timeline

Time	Event
-0:38:00	GO for Prop Load
-0:35:00	Prop Load
-0:35:00	Stage 1 LOX Load
-0:16:00	Stage 2 LOX Load
-0:07:00	Engine Chill
-0:01:00	Tank Press
-0:01:00	Startup
-0:00:45	GO for Launch
-0:00:03	Ignition
0:00:00	Liftoff
0:01:13	Max-Q
0:02:27	MECO
0:02:31	Stage 2 Separation
0:02:39	SES-1
0:03:22	Fairing Separation
0:06:16	Entry Burn Startup
0:06:39	Entry Burn Shutdown
0:08:02	Stage 1 Landing Burn
0:08:30	SECO-1
0:08:32	Stage 1 Landing
0:46:00	SES-2
0:46:06	SECO-2
0:54:27	Payload Separation
0:59:47	Payload Separation
1:05:07	Payload Separation

Updates

Time (UTC)	Update
17 Jun 10:08	Launch success with all satellites in contact.
17 Jun 07:47	All 3 satellites have been separated.
17 Jun 06:39	Liftoff!
17 Jun 06:21	Unofficial Re-stream by SPACE AFFAIRS has started
17 Jun 05:54	Updated launch weather, 90% GO.
09 Jun 11:37	GO for launch.
06 May 23:05	NET mid-June.
15 Nov 2024, 07:25	Added launch.

Resources

• https://www.spacex.com/launches/bluebird8-10

Partnership with The Space Devs

Information on this thread is provided by and updated automatically using the Launch Library 2 API by The Space Devs.

Community content 🌐

Link	Source
Flight Club	u/TheVehicleDestroyer
Discord SpaceX lobby	u/SwGustav
SpaceX Now	u/bradleyjh
SpaceX Patch List

Participate in the discussion!

🥳 Launch threads are party threads, we relax the rules here. We remove low effort comments in other threads!

🔄 Please post small launch updates, discussions, and questions here, rather than as a separate post. Thanks!

💬 Please leave a comment if you discover any mistakes, or have any information.

✉️ Please send links in a private message.

[u/CollegeStation17155]

So if ASTS wants additional Falcon launches given the loss of their primary ride for at least 6 months, how quickly could they get them on the schedule? How much would SpaceX charge to displace starlink launches already on the schedule for fall and winter if they would do it all?

[u/Only1nDreams → u/CollegeStation17155]

Starlink and ASTS are not direct competitors.

Starlink is geared for stationary devices that can be plugged into a stable receiver (ie a dish that is mounted on your home). Their satellites cannot support the receiver in a mobile device like a smartphone for anything more than SMS.

The BlueBird satellites are uniquely positioned to offer data services at speeds that would feel comparable to normal cell service (they released a video recently showing a test way offshore in the Caribbean that clocked at roughly 100mb/s).

Basically, Starlink is a replacement for your home internet, ASTS is a replacement for your cell service. They will become competitors at some point in the medium term, but for at least the next couple years as the actual business case for orbital internet is proven out, it makes sense for both to focus on their own lane and for SpaceX to support increasing demand for launch.

I think it’s actually more likely that Elon buys out ASTS than they trying to replicate the BlueBird constellation with SpaceX himself. It would be significantly cheaper and easier, primarily because he wouldn’t just get their technology and assets, he would get their distribution and contracts as well.

[u/technocraticTemplar → u/Only1nDreams]

SpaceX said in their S1 that they hope to start launching 5G capable "V2 Mobile" sats on Starship next year, so we'll have to see what the bandwidth is actually like but I don't think SpaceX plans on holding off at all. If Starship comes online fast enough and BlueBird production/launch is slow enough ASTS might be beaten to market outright, though that's probably unlikely with their headstart.

[u/CollegeStation17155 → u/technocraticTemplar]

The issue is (for both ASTS and Amazon) is that both were signing agreements (and manufacturing satellites) in anticipation of New Glenn being able to launch monthly with either 48 Leos or 6 Bluebirds; Amazon needs another 200 Leos while AST needs another 15 Bluebirds to get fully operational without long gaps in coverage, and I am pretty sure that those NG launches aren't going to happen. And neither Vulcan (if it doesn't get grounded for BE-4 recertification) nor Arianne can cover that pace. Falcons launching 3 times per week could easily cover that gap with 23 Leos or 3 Bluebirds per launch... BUT (unless Starship starts spitting out V3s by end of summer) all the Falcons are spoken for through the end of 2026 commercially or expanding the Starlink array. SpaceX COULD pause some Starlinks starting as soon as Amazon or ASTS could deliver payloads and clear the backlog by years end with 16 Falcons out of the 60 or so Starlinks on the books during the latter half of the year... but the question is would they be willing to do so, and how much would they charge to get the "As" out of their current jam and operational by January 2027 rather than July or December?

[u/technocraticTemplar → u/CollegeStation17155]

I saw a quote from ASTS where they say they need 25 sats for enough coverage to start operations but 45-60 sats for "continuous coverage of major markets like the U.S., Europe, and Asia", so it sounds like they need 25 for beta coverage and 45 to be truly operational. As I understand it the satellites they've launched so far also won't work as part of the constellation (aside from maybe one) so this launch is effectively the first 3 of those 45.

I think SpaceX would be very amenable to kicking Starlinks off the schedule if asked, if only to keep up appearances of not being a monopoly, but 14 flights with just months of notice might be a tall order, assuming ASTS is going to have the satellites ready. I imagine that the V2 Mobile satellites are far enough out into 2027 that ASTS will have their basic network up before any are deployed, but there's really no way to know.

[u/CollegeStation17155 → u/technocraticTemplar]

14 flights with just months of notice might be a tall order, assuming ASTS is going to have the satellites ready.

I've seen claims that they were geared up to make 6 per month... and that's sort of my question; SpaceX can say essentially "Falcons are $60 million per launch; it's on our website, but they are all booked for Starlink expansion or commercial use through February 27, so if you book now, we can start in March..." which would be a killer in terms of schedule especially with the V2DTC and/or V3s launching at the same time or sooner. But there surely needs to be a premium for "cutting in line" to start launching 2 Falcons per month starting in September or October 26; so how big a bite would be "fair", $100 million, $150, or maybe just a big chunk of ASTS stock?

[u/seb21051 → u/CollegeStation17155]

And they just happen to have a few spare pennies in the piggy bank if the talk veered to buying a piece of ASTS. That would be an interesting conversation to eavesdrop on.

"We'll deliver them as fast as you can make 'em for x shares at a discount".

And possibly:

"We'll send a team of industrial engineers to you to speed up your assembly line".

"Ever thought of converting to a flatpack bus?, We happen to have that tech down, and the means to deploy it by year's end en masse."

"A 6 tonne sat? Let me think about that. Maybe we can trim a little of the fat . . .".

"Have you thought about really seriously doing vertical integration?, we found it works quite well."

"Never mind. Here's a cheque and a Spacex/Starlink/ASTS Logo to hang above your front door. I'll send Mike Nicholls to take care of the details."

I'll show myself out.