Tug: Finn Falgout; Support: Doug Will they try to recover the fairings? Half of the fairings will be recovered from the water ~ 648 km below Doug Are these fairings new? TBD How is the weather? This will be: – 149th Falcon 9 launch – 89th Falcon 9 flight with proven flight assist – 93rd re-flight of an amplifier – 14th re-flight of an amplifier in 2022 – 115th reinforcing landing – 41st consecutive landing (record) 15 SpaceX 2022 – SpaceX 84th launch – SLC-40 2022 Orbital launch attemptWhere to watchOfficial Livestream

What does all this mean?

SpaceX’s Starlink Group 4-14 mission will launch 53 Starlink satellites over a Falcon 9 rocket. The Falcon 9 will take off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA. . Starlink Group 4-14 will mark the 41st Starlink operational mission, increasing the total number of Starlink satellites launched to 2,388, of which 2,156 will remain in orbit around the Earth once launched. Starlink Group 4-14 will mark the 12th launch in the fourth Starlink shell. It will take about 30 launches to fill this shell.

Starlink is SpaceX’s internet communications satellite. Earth’s low-orbit constellation will offer fast, low-latency Internet service in locations where terrestrial internet is unreliable, unavailable or expensive. The first phase of the constellation consists of five orbital shells. Starlink is currently available in some areas, allowing anyone in approved areas to order or pre-order. After 28 launches, SpaceX has achieved almost global coverage, but the constellation will not be complete until about 42,000 satellites are in orbit. Once Starlink is completed, the project is expected to generate $ 30-50 billion a year in profits. This profit will largely fund SpaceX’s ambitious Starship program, as well as Mars Base Alpha. A stack of 60 Starlink V1.0 satellites before being integrated into the Falcon 9. payload fairing (Credit: SpaceX)

Each Starlink V1.5 satellite has a compact design and a mass of 307 kg. SpaceX has developed a flat-screen design, allowing them to fit as many satellites as possible in the 5.2-meter wide payload fairing of the Falcon 9. Due to this flat design, SpaceX can accommodate up to 60 Starlink satellites and payload distributor cargo in the second stage, while still being able to recover the first stage. This is close to the recoverable payload capacity of the Falcon 9 to LEO, approximately 16 tonnes. As small as any Starlink satellite is, each one is packed with high-tech, cost-effective communication technology. Each Starlink satellite is equipped with four phase array antennas for high bandwidth and low latency communication, and two parabolic antennas. The satellites also include a star tracker, which provides the satellite with stop data, ensuring accuracy in broadband communication. Each Starlink V1.5 satellite is also equipped with a trans-satellite laser communication system. This allows each satellite to communicate directly with other satellites without having to go through terrestrial stations. This reduces the number of ground stations required, allowing the entire surface of the Earth to be covered, including the poles. Starlink satellites are also equipped with an autonomous collision avoidance system, which uses the US Department of Defense (DOD) Debris Monitoring Database to autonomously avoid collisions with other spacecraft and space debris. To reduce costs, each satellite has a single solar panel, which simplifies the construction process. To further reduce costs, the Starlink propulsion system, an ion booster, uses crypto fuel instead of foreign fuel. While the specific propulsion (ISP) of krypton is significantly lower than that of xenon, it is much cheaper, which further reduces the cost of building the satellite.

Ion Power

Each Starlink satellite is equipped with the first ion-powered ion-powered krypton with Hall effect. This propeller is used both to ensure the correct orbital position and to raise and lower the orbit. At the end of the satellite’s life, this launcher is used to launch the satellite.

A satellite constellation is a group of satellites operating in combination for a common purpose. SpaceX is currently planning to form a network of 11,716 satellites. However, in 2019, SpaceX applied to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to launch and operate an additional 30,000 satellites as part of Starlink Phase 2. To see this number of satellites, this is about 20 times more satellites than they were launched before 2019. Of the original ~ 12,000 satellites, ~ 4,400 would operate in the Ku and Ka zones, with the remaining ~ 7,600 operating in the V zone. Due to the huge number of Starlink satellites, many astronomers are concerned about their effect on the night sky. However, SpaceX is working with the astronomy community to make changes to the satellites to make them harder on the ground and less annoying in the night sky. SpaceX has changed the way satellites orbit and, starting with the Starlink V1.0 L9, has added a shade to reduce light reflection. These changes have already significantly reduced Starlink’s impact on the night sky.

Slope (°) Orbital altitude (km) Number of satellitesShell 153.05501.584Shell 270.0570720Shell 397.6560348Shell 453.25401,584Shell 597.6501,584Shell

Shell 1

The first orbital shell of the Starlink satellites consists of 1,584 satellites orbiting 53.0 ° 550 km in low orbit around the Earth. Shell 1 consists of 72 orbital levels, with 22 satellites in each level. This shell is currently almost complete, with occasional satellites being replaced. The first shell provides coverage between about 52 ° and -52 ° latitude (~ 80% of the Earth’s surface) and will have no laser connections until replacement satellites are launched after 2021.

Shell 2

The second Starlink shell will house 720 satellites orbiting 70 ° 570 km. These satellites will significantly increase the coverage area, which will make the Starlink constellation cover about 94% of the planet. SpaceX will place 20 satellites in each of the 36 third-hull aircraft. This shell is currently being filled, along with Shell 4.

Shell 3

Shell 3 will consist of 348 satellites orbiting 97.6 ° 560 km. SpaceX deployed 10 laser coupling test satellites on this orbit in the Transporter-1 mission to test satellites in polar orbit. SpaceX launched three more satellites into this shell on the Transporter-2 mission. On April 6, 2021, Gwynne Shotwell said that SpaceX will launch regular Starlink polar launchers this summer, but this shell is now the lowest priority and is expected to be the last to be paid. All the satellites that will be developed in this orbit will have satellite communication with laser connection. The Shell 4 will have six orbital planes with 58 satellites on each plane.

Shell 4

The fourth shell will consist of 1,584 satellites at a 540 km 53.2 ° LEO. This updated orbital configuration will slightly increase the coverage area and dramatically increase the constellation bandwidth. This shell will also consist of 72 orbital planes with 22 satellites on each plane. This shell is currently being filled with Shell 2.

Shell 5

The final shell of Starlink Phase 1 will house 172 satellites on another polar orbit 97.6 ° 560 km low. Shell 5 will also consist exclusively of satellites with laser communication links. However, unlike the Shell 3, it will consist of four orbital planes with 43 satellites in each plane.

Shell 6

The sixth orbital shell of the Starlink satellites is allowed to consist of 2,493 satellites at an LEO 42 ° 335.9 km. This large number of satellites will reduce latency and increase bandwidth for lower latitudes.

Shell 7

The seventh Starlink shell allows SpaceX to deploy 2,478 satellites on a 48 ° 340.8 km low orbit around the Earth. These satellites will further reduce latency and increase bandwidth for lower latitudes.

Shell 8

The final shell of the Starlink Phase 2 allows SpaceX to deploy 2,547 satellites orbiting 53 ° 345.6 km. SpaceX has until March 2024 to complete half of Phase 1 and must complete Phase 1 by March 2027. Phase 2 must be halfway completed by November 2024 and completed by March 2024. November 2027. Failure to do so could result in SpaceX losing its exclusive frequency band.

What is Falcon 9 Block 5?

The Falcon 9 Block 5 is SpaceX’s partially reusable two-stage mid-lift launch vehicle. The vehicle consists of a reusable first stage, a consumable second stage and, when in payload configuration, a pair of reusable half fairings.

First stage

The first stage Falcon 9 contains 9 Merlin 1D + engines at sea level. Each engine uses an open gas generator cycle and operates on RP-1 and liquid oxygen (LOx). Each engine produces 845 kN of thrust at sea level, with a specific thrust (ISP) of 285 seconds and 934 kN in vacuum with an ISP of 313 seconds. Due to the strong nature of the engine and their large quantity, the Falcon 9 first …