SpaceX Starlink Launch Tonight WED 2020-06-03 21:25 EDT: Successful! [Updated]
[20200604_025249 UTC: The nighttime launch was on time. First stage booster landed on the drone ship Just Read The Instructions making the fifth successful launch and recovery of this booster. (This also marks the second time that a SpaceX booster has had 5 successful launches). Satellite deployment was successful. The satellites will now use their solar arrays and ion thrusters to boost themselves to their intended orbit. The recovery ships Ms Tree and Ms Chief were in position to attempt to capture the payload fairings a few hours after launch. NB: SpaceX had its very first Falcon-9 launch 10 years ago on 2010-06-04. Well done, SpaceX!--martyb]
martyb writes:
It's been a mixed bag for SpaceX the past few days. They had a successful launch and docking of the Crew Demo 2. They also recovered the booster successfully when it landed on the autonomous drone "Of Course I Still Love You". On the other hand, a test fire of their Starship prototype SN4 (serial number 4) was not so hot. Strike that, it was too hot to handle and experience an extremely Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly.
So SpaceX is at it again with another launch planned for tonight; exactly one hour from when this story was released. This time sending up another batch of Starlink satellites:
SpaceX is targeting Wednesday June 3 at 9:25 p.m. EDT, 1:25 UTC on June 4, for its eighth launch of Starlink satellites. Falcon 9 will lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. A backup opportunity is available on Thursday, June 4 at 9:03 p.m. EDT, 1:03 UTC on June 5.
Falcon 9's first stage previously supported the Telstar 18 VANTAGE mission in September 2018, the Iridium-8 mission in January 2019, and two separate Starlink missions in May 2019 and in January 2020. Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9's first stage on the "Just Read the Instructions" droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Starlink satellites will deploy in an elliptical orbit approximately 15 minutes after liftoff. Prior to orbit raise, SpaceX engineers will conduct data reviews to ensure all Starlink satellites are operating as intended. Once the checkouts are complete, the satellites will then use their onboard ion thrusters to move into their intended orbits and operational altitude of 550 km.
As usual, the launch will be live-streamed on YouTube. Separately, a live feed of Starlink Mission Control Audio is also being made available.
Also at Ars Technica.
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