By the way, if the current launch date holds, Starlink-1 will break the current record by a few hours. For example, even back in 2017, the Intelsat 35e mission could have launched 9 days after the BulgariaSat-1 mission from pad 39A, but the launch was aborted a few seconds before ignition due to an error unrelated to the launch pad. The current record between two launches from the same pads is 12 days but shorter times are definitely possible. Both of SpaceX’s launch pads in Florida have been designed in a way to not require lengthy repairs between launches.This is one of the key features of the Block 5 architecture that saves the company a lot of time because the legs would no longer have to be removed and later reattached. After the recent CRS-17 mission, SpaceX finally retracted the landing legs on the recovered Falcon 9 first stage after OCISLY returned to port.While SpaceX has not yet demonstrated the ability to perform two launches of the same booster within a short period of time ( a 71-day record between launches is still held by a Block 4 booster), Starlink missions will be an ideal opportunity to show the world what Block 5 can do because SpaceX won’t have to consider the customers who usually have lower risk tolerance. Block 5 first launched a year ago and was designed for quick reusability.All the key components for this strategy are currently in place: That means SpaceX is likely to pursue optimization of pre-launch operations and booster reusability. Their reuse might be possible thanks to design modifications I speculated about previously.ī1056 booster with retracted landing legs after CRS-17 (Credit: / Twitter)Īnyway, it’s probably safe to assume that the number of Starlink launches will increase every year because SpaceX needs to deploy many Starlink satellites as soon as possible in order to be able to offer at least a limited service and start generating revenue. Steven is still not equipped with a net to catch the fairings but she can at least fish out the fairings from the ocean. That said, even if they use brand new fairings, SpaceX will probably still try to recover them. However, it’s unclear if he meant Starlink-1 or one of the later launches. After recovering the fairings during the Arabsat 6A in April, Elon Musk announced that they would probably be reused on a Starlink mission this year. It is also possible that Starlink-1 will be the first launch with reused fairings. Those would carry satellites intended for “actual service”. Gwynne Shotwell added that, depending on how well the first batch of satellites works, up to 6 more Starlink launches could be conducted this year. SpaceX has already developed a new type of satellite that is designed to completely disintegrate after deorbiting, but the first generation of satellites still contains some components that can survive reentry and reach Earth’s surface. We know from FCC filings that SpaceX plans to produce a maximum of 75 satellites of this simplified type, and future generations will be more advanced and interconnected using lasers. SpaceX launched two test satellites for Starlink in February 2018 and according to Gwynne Shotwell, the spacecraft launched on Starlink-1 are also “test satellites” and are not yet equipped with intersatellite links. This would suggest a significant total mass and would explain why the first stage will land on a droneship without even doing a boostback burn. There are also rumors saying that the total number of satellites being launched on this mission will be surprisingly high. ![]() However, according to SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, who attended Satellite 2019 conference, Starlink-1 rocket will launch “dozens of satellites”. The satellites will be deployed to low Eart orbit with at 430 km, which would normally allow the Falcon 9 first stage to land back on land. The droneship’s position indicates that the total payload mass will be very high on this launch. B1049.2 after landing on a droneship during the Iridium-8 mission (Credit: SpaceX)
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