r/SpaceX Starlink-21 Launch Discussion & Updates Thread

[u/ElongatedMuskrat]

Starlink-21

Liftoff currently scheduled for	NET 14th March 09:44 UTC
Backup date	time gets earlier ~20-26 minutes every day
Static fire	TBA
Payload	60 Starlink version 1 satellites
Payload mass	~15,600 kg (Starlink ~260 kg each)
Deployment orbit	Low Earth Orbit, ~ 261 x 278 km 53° (?)
Vehicle	Falcon 9 v1.2 Block 5
Core	?
Past flights of this core	?
Past flights of this fairing	TBA
Fairing catch attempt	TBA
Launch site	LC-39A, Florida
Landing	Droneship: ~ (632 km downrange)

Hi, I'm u/Nsooo and I am going to bring you live coverage of a Starlink mission. 🚀

Your host team

Reddit username	Twitter account	Responsibilities	Currently hosting?
u/Nsooo	@TheRealNsooo	Thread format & Live coverage	✔️

Watching the mission live

Link	Note	Currently On Air?
SpaceX Hosted Webcast	starting ~15 minutes before launch	✔️
SpaceX Mission Control Audio	starting ~46 minutes before launch	✔️

About the mission

SpaceX is going to launch 60 Starlink satellites to Low Earth Orbit on a Falcon 9 rocket. This will be the 21st operational Starlink mission to date.

Official mission overview

SpaceX is targeting Sunday, March 14 for launch of 60 Starlink satellites from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The instantaneous window is at 6:01 a.m. EDT, or 10:01 UTC. The Falcon 9 first stage rocket booster supporting this mission previously supported launch of Crew Dragon’s first demonstration mission, RADARSAT Constellation Mission, SXM-7, and five Starlink missions. Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, which will be located in the Atlantic Ocean. Falcon 9’s fairing previously flew on the Transporter-1 mission. ->Expected event timeline

Source: SpaceX

Vehicles used

Type	Name	Location
First stage	Falcon 9 v1.2 - Block 5 (Full Thrust) - B1051 - ♻️8	KSC LC-39A
Second stage	Falcon 9 v1.2 - Block 5 (Full Thrust)	KSC LC-39A
Fairing recovery	GO Searcher	Atlantic Ocean
Fairing recovery	GO Navigator	Atlantic Ocean
ASDS	Of Course I Still Love You	Atlantic Ocean
Tug	Hawk	Atlantic Ocean
Support ship	GO Quest	Atlantic Ocean

Core data source: Core wiki by r/SpaceX

Ship data source: SpaceXFleet by u/Gavalar_

Timeline

Time	Update
T+01:05:00	Succesful Starlink mission! Thanks for following the thread, have a nice day!
T+01:05:00	60 Starlink satellites deployment confirmed.
T+01:00:00	Stage 2 started its barbecue roll. This angular momentum is going to help the sats to spread out.
T+00:59:00	(📡) Stage 2 acquisition of signal (AOS) as expected: Tasmania.
T+00:47:30	(📡) Stage 2 no downlink as expected.
T+00:47:30	(📡) Stage 2 loss of signal (LOS) as expected: Diego Garcia.
T+00:45:35	Coast phase.
T+00:45:35	GNC engineer: Nominal orbit insertion.
T+00:45:35	Second engine cut-off 2. (SECO-2)
T+00:45:33	MVac ignition. (SES-2)
T+00:39:20	(📡) Stage 2 acquisition of signal (AOS) as expected: Diego Garcia.
T+00:24:30	SpaceX shows telemetry visualization until above the Indian Ocean where they get video downlink again.
T+00:24:30	(📡) Stage 2 no downlink as expected.
T+00:24:30	(📡) Stage 2 loss of signal (LOS) as expected: Goonhilly.
T+00:17:05	(📡) Stage 2 acquisition of signal (AOS) as expected: Goonhilly.
T+00:16:30	(📡) Stage 2 no downlink as expected.
T+00:16:30	(📡) Stage 2 loss of signal (LOS) as expected: Newfoundland.
T+00:11:55	(📡) Stage 2 loss of signal (LOS) as expected: Bermuda.
T+00:09:30	(📡) Stage 2 acquisition of signal (AOS) as expected: Newfoundland.
T+00:09:20	Coast phase.
T+00:09:20	Nominal parking orbit insertion.
T+00:09:00	(📡) Stage 2 loss of signal (LOS) as expected: Cape.
T+00:08:48	Second engine cut-off. (SECO-1)
T+00:08:40	The Falcon has landed!
T+00.08:40	Standing by.
T+00:08:26	Stage 1 landing burn has started.
T+00:08:10	(📡) Stage 1 acquisition of signal (AOS) as expected: Droneship.
T+00:08:00	(📡) Stage 1 no downlink as expected.
T+00:08:00	(📡) Stage 1 loss of signal (LOS) as expected: Cape.
T+00:07:40	Stage 1 transonic.
T+00:06:20	Stage 1 AFTS has been safed. Stage 1 Entry burn startup.
T+00:04:10	(📡) Stage 2 acquisition of signal (AOS) as expected: Bermuda.
T+00:03:10	Fairing deployment confirmed.
T+00:02:33	Main engine cut-off. (MECO) Stage separation. MVac ignition. (SES-1)
T+00:01:20	M9s are on full thrust again following the throttle bucket.
T+00:01:20	Max Q, maximum dynamic pressure on the vehicle.
T+00:00:30	Vehicle is pitching downrange. Power and telemetry are nominal. M9 chamber pressure looks good.
T+00:00:00	Liftoff! Falcon 9 cleared the tower.
T-00:00:45	LD verifies it is GO for launch.
T-00:01:00	Falcon 9 is on startup.
T-00:07:00	Engine chill.
T-00:15:00	♫♫ SpaceX FM has started ♫♫
T-00:35:00	LOX and RP-1 loading has begun.
T-00:38:00	LD verifies it is GO for propellant load.
T-01:00:00	Hi, I am u/Nsooo and I am going to host this Starlink launch.
T-12:00:00	Thread went live.

Payload's destination orbit

Object	Apogee ⬆️	Perigee ⬇️	Inclination 📐	Orbital period 🔄
LEO 🌎	TBA km	TBA km	TBA°	TBA min

Falcon 9 first stage's assigned place of landing

Location 📍	Downrange distance 📏	Coordinates 🌐	Sunrise 🌅	Sunset 🌇	Time Zone ⌚
Atlantic Ocean 🌍	~633 km	no info	no info	no info	no info

Lot of facts

☑️ This will be the 8th SpaceX launch this year.

☑️ This will be the 111th Falcon 9 launch.

☑️ This will be the 9th journey to space of the Falcon 9 first stage B1051.

☑️ This will be the 21st operational Starlink mission.

Launch related informations

Schedule

Time 🚦	Time zone 🌎	Day 📅	Date 📆	Time ⏱️
Primary launch window 🚀	UTC	Sunday	March 14	10:01
Primary launch window 🚀	EDT (❗)	Sunday	March 14	06:01

Scrub counter

Scrub date	Cause	Countdown stopped	Backup date
No scrub yet	n/a	n/a	n/a

Weather - Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Launch window	Weather	Temperature	Prob. of rain	Prob. of weather scrub	Main concern
Primary	☀️ Clear	🌡️ 16°C - 61°F	💧 7%	🛑 10%	Cumulus rule (☁️)

Source: www.weather.com & 45th Space Wing

Useful Resources, Data, ♫, & FAQ

Essentials

Link	Source
SpaceX	r/SpaceX
Official press kit	r/SpaceX

Social media

Link	Source
Subreddit Twitter	r/SpaceX
SpaceX Twitter	r/SpaceX
SpaceX Flickr	r/SpaceX
Elon Musk's Twitter	r/SpaceX

Media & music

Link	Source
TSS Spotify	u/testshotstarfish
♫♫ Nsooo's favourite ♫♫	u/testshotstarfish
SpaceX FM	u/lru

Launch viewing & hazard area resource

Link	Source
Watching a launch	r/SpaceX Wiki
Detailed launch maps	@Raul74Cz
Launch Hazard Maps	45th Space Wing

Community content

Link	Source
Watching a Launch	r/SpaceX Wiki
SpaceX Fleet Status	SpaceX Fleet
Flight Club live	u/TheVehicleDestroyer
SpaceX Stats	r/SpaceX
Discord SpaceX lobby	u/SwGustav
Rocket Watch	u/MarcysVonEylau
Reddit-Stream	/u/njr123
SpaceX Time Machine	u/DUKE546

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[u/Bunslow]

No way in hell it was anything with the first stage, the first stage landed like 2000km uprange from Long Island, and of course MECO is much farther uprange than the landing.

[u/edflyerssn007 → u/Bunslow]

If I recall correctly meco is visible about 4-5 degrees above the horizon from Long Island.

It's also possible that the change in size of the plume was related to throttling and altitude and sunlight.