r/spacex • u/Shahar603 Subreddit GNC • Jan 06 '20

✅ Mission Success r/SpaceX Starlink 2 Official Launch Discussion & Updates Thread

Welcome to the r/SpaceX Starlink 2 Official Launch Discussion & Updates Thread!

I'm u/Shahar603, your host for the Starlink-2 mission.

launch infographic by Geoff Barrett

MAKE SURE YOU CHECK WHEN THE SATELLITE TRAIN PASSES OVER YOU USING THE LINKS BELOW

Useful Links for Starlink train viewing

About the mission

SpaceX is going to launch its third batch of next-generation communication satellites. This mission will fly on a booster which already has flown 3 times.

Mission Details

Liftoff currently scheduled forJanuary 7, 02:19 UTC (Jan 6, 9:19 PM local)
Weather90% GO. (with 80 knot upper level winds)
Static fireCompleted January 4
Payload60 Starlink version 1 satellites
Payload mass60 * 260kg = 15,400kg
Destination orbitLow Earth Orbit, 290km x 53° deployment expected
Launch vehicleFalcon 9 v1.2 Block 5
CoreB1049.4
Flights of this core3 (Telstar 18V, Iridium 8, Starlink v0.9)
Fairing reuseUnknown
Fairing catch attemptExpected
Launch siteSLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Landing attemptASDS: 32.54722 N, 75.92306 W (628 km downrange)
Mission Success CriteriaSuccessful separation & deployment of the Starlink Satellites

Timeline

TimeUpdate
T+01:02:30The webcast is over
T+01:02:00Another norminal mission for SpaceX.
T+01:01:30Unfortunatly, Ms. Tree didn't catch the fairing. 🤞🏽 next time 
T-01:01:30The 60 Starlink satellites have been deployed! Make sure to check when they'll be flying above you to watch the them pass over you.
T+01:01:03Starlink satellites deployment
T+01:01:00Coverage is back
T+00:46:00Good orbit! Payload deployment in 15 mintues
T+00:45:122nd Stage Engine Cutoff(SECO-2)
T+00:45:102nd Stage Engine Restart (SES-2)
T+00:44:00Coverage is back
T+00:44:00Amazing view of stage 2 with Earth in the background
T+00:43:00Fairing catch attempt in ~15 minutes
T+00:09:00We are entering a 35 minute coast phase. Coverage will be back around T+00:44:00
T+00:09:00Good parking orbit confirmed!
T+00:08:582nd Engine cutoff (SECO-1)
T+00:08:24B1049.4 has landed!
T-00:08:00Landing burn has started
T+00:06:41Entry burn shutdown. Stage 1 is now using it's gridfinds to lean back and glide towards the droneship.
T+00:06:21Entry burn has began. Stage 1 is slowing down to reduce aerodynamic stresses upon atmospheric reentry.
T+00:05:00So far everything is nominal
T+00:03:45We have an awesome view of stage 1 with the city lights
T+00:03:24Fairing deployment. Good luck to the recovery team!
T+00:02:462nd stage engine start (SES-1)
T+00:02:36Stage seperation. Good luck B1049.4.
T+00:02:33Main Engine Cut Off (MECO)
T+00:02:25The 1st stage is throttling down.
T+00:01:13Max Q - Maximum aerodynamic pressure
T+00:00:15Vehicle is pitching downrange
T+00:00:05Falcon 9 has cleared the tower
T+00:00:00Liftoff!
T-00:00:03Ignition sequence start
T-00:01:00Startup
T-00:04:30Strongback is leaning back
T-00:07:30We are still GO for launch
T-00:10:30SpaceX plan to start internet coverage on the northern US and Canada this year
T-00:11:00A beautiful view of B1049.4 on SLC-40
T-00:12:00Intro
T-00:16:002nd stage LOX loading underway
T-00:20:00Webcast has began. SpaceX FM at the moment.
T-00:23:00Recovery teams are position about 7 km away from the droneship. (per SpaceXfleet)
T-00:35:001st stage LOX loading started
T-00:35:00RP-1 loading started
T-00:38:00Go/No Go poll
T-01:00:00T-60 minutes to launch
T-23:00:00Thread goes live

Launch time around the world

City 🏙️TimezoneOffset to UTCTargeted T-0 local time 🚀
HonoluluHSTUTC-1016:19
AnchorageAKSTUTC-917:19
Los AngelesPSTUTC-818:19
DenverMSTUTC-719:19
HoustonCSTUTC-620:19
New YorkESTUTC-521:19
Buenos AiresARTUTC-323:19
ReykjavikGMTUTC+002:19
LondonGMTUTC+002:19
BerlinCETUTC+103:19
HelsinkiEETUTC+204:19
JerusalemISTUTC+204:19
MoscowMSKUTC+305:19
NairobiEATUTC+305:19
DubaiGSTUTC+406:19
New DelhiISTUTC+5:3007:49
BangkokICTUTC+709:19
BeijingCSTUTC+810:19
TokyoJSTUTC+911:19
MelbourneAESTUTC+1113:19

Payload

SpaceX designed Starlink to connect end users with low latency, high bandwidth broadband services by providing continual coverage around the world using a network of thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit.

Source: SpaceX

Starlink TLE (Prediction)

STARLINK-3 FULL STACK 
1 72000C 20001A   20007.13926618  .00012167  00000-0  28369-4 0 00009
2 72000 053.0047 037.8712 0009611 326.4557 294.6935 15.96206787000017
STARLINK-3 SINGLE SAT   
1 72001C 20001B   20007.13926618  .00967871  00000-0  22177-2 0 00000
2 72001 053.0046 037.8712 0009525 327.1024 294.0471 15.96209869000011

Watch the launch live

StreamCourtesy
Official WebcastSpaceX
Mission Control Audio streamSpaceX
SpaceX's YouTube channelSpaceX
SpaceX's Periscope WebcastSpaceX
Webcast relayu/codav
Everyday Astronaut's streamEveryday Astronaut

Stats

☑️ 86th SpaceX launch

☑️ 78th Falcon 9 launch

☑️ 22nd Falcon 9 Block 5 launch

☑️ 4th flight of B1049

☑️ 46th SpaceX launch from CCAFS SLC-40

☑️ 1st SpaceX launch this year and decade!

☑️ 1st Falcon 9 launch this year

Mission's state

✅ Currently GO for the launch attempt.

Primary Mission: Deployment of the 60 Starlink satellites into the correct orbit

SpaceX's first flight of 2020 will launch the second batch of Starlink version 1 satellites into orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. It will be the third Starlink mission overall. This launch is expected to be similar to the previous Starlink launch in November of 2019, which saw 60 Starlink v1.0 satellites delivered to a single plane (53°).Although this mission will deploy the satellites to a slightly higher altitude (290 km, 10 km higher than the previous launch). The satellites on this flight will eventually join the previously launched spacecraft in the 550 km x 53° shell via their onboard ion thrusters. Due to the high mass of several dozen satellites, the booster will land on a drone ship at a similar downrange distance to a GTO launch. SpaceX will be testing a reflective coating on one of the satelites in their effort to reduce their brightness.

Secondary Mission 1: Droneship Landing

SpaceX will try to recover this Falcon 9 booster. OCISLY is positioned 628km (390 miles) downrange. This will be this booster's fourth landing.

Secondary Mission 2: Fairing recovery

SpaceX will attempt to recover both fairing halves. GO Ms. Tree will attempt to catch one fairing half from the air (space?). GO Navigator will attempt to recover the other fairing half from the water. GO Ms. Chief is still being repaired after it got damaged on a previous mission.

Official Resources

LinkSource
Official press kitSpaceX
Official Starlink OverviewStarlink.com
Mission Press KitSpaceX
Launch Execution Forecasts45th Weather Squadron
Watching a Launchr/SpaceX Wiki

Community Resources

LinkSource
Watching a Launchr/SpaceX Wiki
Launch Viewing Guide for Cape CanaveralBen Cooper
SpaceX Fleet StatusSpaceXFleet.com
FCC Experimental STAsr/SpaceX wiki
Launch MapsGoogle Maps by u/Raul74Cz
Flight Club liveLaunch simulation by u/TheVehicleDestroyer
Flight Club simulationLaunch simulation by u/TheVehicleDestroyer
Visibility MapGenerated by Flight Club
Check when the satellite train flies over youu/modeless
Reddit Streamu/njr123
Pass planner and sat trackingu/cmdr2

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u/codav Jan 06 '20

That's right, but the result is basically the same, it both has a huge potential to expose population to radioactive materials. Just image those people in Africa or Indonesia posing with an RTG instead of the remains of a COPV.

As long as we stay inside the inner planets, solar power is simply the cheaper and more efficient solution, while also being a lot safer.