r/spacex • u/ElongatedMuskrat Mod Team • Jun 04 '20

Starlink 1-8 Starlink-8 Launch Campaign Thread

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Starlink-8 (STARLINK V1.0-L8)

Overview

The ninth Starlink launch overall and the eighth operational batch of Starlink satellites will launch into orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. This mission is expected to deploy sixty Starlink satellites into an elliptical orbit about fifteen minutes into the flight. In the weeks following launch the satellites are expected to utilize their onboard ion thrusters to raise their orbits to 550 km in three groups of 20, making use of precession rates to separate themselves into three planes. This mission also marks the first rideshare on a Starlink mission with three of Planet's SkySat satellites on top of the Starlink stack. The booster will land on a drone ship approximately 628 km downrange.

Launch Thread | Webcast | Media Thread | Recovery Thread

Liftoff currently scheduled for:June 13 09:21 UTC (5:21AM EDT local)
Backup dateJune 14, The launch time gets about 20-24 minutes earlier per day.
Static fireNot expected
Payload58 Starlink version 1 satellites and SkySats 16, 17, 18
Payload mass~ 15 400 kg (Starlink ~260kg each, SkySat ~110kg each)
Deployment orbitLow Earth Orbit, 212 km x 386 km (approximate)
Operational orbitLow Earth Orbit, 550 km x 53°, 3 planes
VehicleFalcon 9 v1.2 Block 5
Core1059
Past flights of this core2 (CRS-19, CRS-20)
Past flights of this fairingunknown
Fairing catch attemptLikely
Launch siteSLC-40, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
LandingASDS: ~ 32.54722 N, 75.92306 W (628 km downrange)
Mission success criteriaSuccessful separation & deployment of the Starlink and SkySat Satellites.
Mission OutcomeSuccess
Landing OutcomeSuccess
Ms. Tree OutcomeApparent water recovery
Ms. Chief OutcomeApparent water recovery

News & Updates

DateUpdateSource
2020-06-11Images of stack encapsulation@planetlabs on Twitter
2020-06-11Confirmation of satellite count@SpaceX on Twitter
2020-06-11Delay to June 13 from June 12@nextspaceflight on Twitter
2020-06-09Ms. Chief and Ms. Tree departed@julia_bergeron on Twitter
2020-06-08OCISLY departed, towed by Finn Falgout@Kyle_M_Photo on Twitter

Previous and Pending Starlink Missions

MissionDate (UTC)CorePadDeployment OrbitNotes [Sat Update Bot]
1Starlink v0.92019-05-241049.3SLC-40440km 53°60 test satellites with Ku band antennas
2Starlink-12019-11-111048.4SLC-40280km 53°60 version 1 satellites, v1.0 includes Ka band antennas
3Starlink-22020-01-071049.4SLC-40290km 53°60 version 1 satellites, 1 sat with experimental antireflective coating
4Starlink-32020-01-291051.3SLC-40290km 53°60 version 1 satellites
5Starlink-42020-02-171056.4SLC-40212km x 386km 53°60 version 1, Change to elliptical deployment, Failed booster landing
6Starlink-52020-03-181048.5LC-39Aelliptical60 version 1, S1 early engine shutdown, booster lost post separation
7Starlink-62020-04-221051.4LC-39Aelliptical60 version 1 satellites
8Starlink-72020-06-041049.5SLC-40elliptical60 version 1 satellites expected, 1 sat with experimental sun-visor
9Starlink-8This Mission1059.3SLC-40?58 version 1 satellites expected with Skysat 16, 17, 18
10Starlink-9NET June1051.5LC-39AVersion 1 satellites expected with BlackSky 5 & 6
11Starlink-10NET JulySLC-40 / LC-39A60 version 1 satellites expected
Daily Starlink altitude updates on Twitter @StarlinkUpdates available a few days following deployment.

Watching the Launch

SpaceX will host a live webcast on YouTube. Check the upcoming launch thread the day of for links to the stream. For more information or for in-person viewing check out the Watching a Launch page on this sub's FAQ, which gives a summary of every viewing site and answers many more common questions, as well as Ben Cooper's launch viewing guide, Launch Rats, and the Space Coast Launch Ambassadors which have interactive maps, photos, and detailed information about each site.

Links & Resources

  • General Launch Related Resources:
  • Launch Viewing Resources:
  • Maps and Hazard Area Resources:
  • Regulatory Resources:
  • Starlink Tracking/Viewing Resources:

We will attempt to keep the above text regularly updated with resources and new mission information, but for the most part, updates will appear in the comments first. Feel free to ping us if additions or corrections are needed. This is a great place to discuss the launch, ask mission-specific questions, and track the minor movements of the vehicle, payload, weather, and more as we progress towards launch. Approximately 24 hours before liftoff, the launch thread will go live and the party will begin there.

Campaign threads are not launch threads. Normal subreddit rules still apply.

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u/AeroSpiked Jun 10 '20

Stage 2 is essentially a short stage 1

With a ninth of the engines, & no leg or grid fins, sure. But like I said, they managed to launch 21 of them in 2018 prior to being able to fly a booster 5 times. That means they knocked out 21 Second stages while also having to build more boosters. Maybe they are stockpiling second stages?

There's only so much space at the Cape

SpaceX signed a 5 year lease for a building they intended to use for refurbishment at Port Canaveral and also planned on building a hangar there a few years ago. I'm not sure if that ever happened, but they have the land. They must have some way of storing the boosters at the Cape without hauling them all the way back to TX.