SpaceX (Vol. 2)
Discussion
Yes, it’s more than one a week on average. 11 launches so far this year and we’re in week 7. They intend to do 100 launches this year, so only 89 to go.
There’s another one tomorrow morning at ~4am UK time.
It doesn’t get much attention, but recovering and reusing the payload fairings has been a significant improvement. On this last launch I think they said that one side had done 5 flights and the other side 6. At about $3 million per side, that’s a significant saving, even after recovery and refurb costs. The booster itself has now done 9 flights.
There’s another one tomorrow morning at ~4am UK time.
It doesn’t get much attention, but recovering and reusing the payload fairings has been a significant improvement. On this last launch I think they said that one side had done 5 flights and the other side 6. At about $3 million per side, that’s a significant saving, even after recovery and refurb costs. The booster itself has now done 9 flights.
Yes and with the fairings it's interesting that they discovered they didn't need to catch them - a brief dunk in the sea water seems to do them not too much harm.
Adaptation rather than trying, failing and giving up. I think that's just as impressive as anything else they've done, really.
Adaptation rather than trying, failing and giving up. I think that's just as impressive as anything else they've done, really.
I think they must has redesigned the fairings to resist the effects of seawater, which is probably what they should have done originally. The in-air recovery proved too difficult and impractical in the real world. They don’t talk about or show these operations any more, unfortunately. Gotta let the competition work it out for themselves.
They launched the Inmarsat-6 F2 satellite earlier from Pad 40 in Florida. The booster landing safely after its 3rd flight. Two launches in the same day, US time.
The next one should be this Thursday from the same pad. More Starlinks.
They launched the Inmarsat-6 F2 satellite earlier from Pad 40 in Florida. The booster landing safely after its 3rd flight. Two launches in the same day, US time.
The next one should be this Thursday from the same pad. More Starlinks.
Beati Dogu said:
I think they must has redesigned the fairings to resist the effects of seawater, which is probably what they should have done originally. The in-air recovery proved too difficult and impractical in the real world. They don’t talk about or show these operations any more, unfortunately. Gotta let the competition work it out for themselves.
They launched the Inmarsat-6 F2 satellite earlier from Pad 40 in Florida. The booster landing safely after its 3rd flight. Two launches in the same day, US time.
The next one should be this Thursday from the same pad. More Starlinks.
The salt water protection may add weight, so they were trying for the catch for a small payload increase.They launched the Inmarsat-6 F2 satellite earlier from Pad 40 in Florida. The booster landing safely after its 3rd flight. Two launches in the same day, US time.
The next one should be this Thursday from the same pad. More Starlinks.
The Russians sent up an empty Soyuz on Thursday to replace the leaky one. It docked OK on Saturday.
With that done, SpaceX's Crew-6 mission to the ISS is cleared to launch on Monday morning.
Launch time: 6.45 am UK time (1.45 am EST) from LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
Onboard will be NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren “Woody” Hoburg; Along with UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
It'll use a new booster.
Later on they have the Starlink 2-7 flight from Vandenberg, CA. That's at 7.31 pm UK time.11.31 am local.
They also have the Starlink 6-1 flight from SLC-40, Florida, ready to go. The could have done this at the weekend, but the manned launch gets priority. It is expected to carry 21 of the larger and heavier "“V2 Mini” satellites for the first time:
According to SpaceX:
"V2 minis include key technologies—such as more powerful phased array antennas and the use of E-band for backhaul—which will allow Starlink to provide ~4x more capacity per satellite than earlier iterations"
"among other enhancements, V2 minis are equipped with new argon Hall thrusters for on orbit maneuvering.
Developed by SpaceX engineers, they have 2.4x the thrust and 1.5x the specific impulse of our first gen thrusters. This will also be the first time ever that argon Hall thrusters are operated in space".
This will probably launch on Monday too, after Crew-6 is clear.
With that done, SpaceX's Crew-6 mission to the ISS is cleared to launch on Monday morning.
Launch time: 6.45 am UK time (1.45 am EST) from LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
Onboard will be NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren “Woody” Hoburg; Along with UAE astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
It'll use a new booster.
Later on they have the Starlink 2-7 flight from Vandenberg, CA. That's at 7.31 pm UK time.11.31 am local.
They also have the Starlink 6-1 flight from SLC-40, Florida, ready to go. The could have done this at the weekend, but the manned launch gets priority. It is expected to carry 21 of the larger and heavier "“V2 Mini” satellites for the first time:
According to SpaceX:
"V2 minis include key technologies—such as more powerful phased array antennas and the use of E-band for backhaul—which will allow Starlink to provide ~4x more capacity per satellite than earlier iterations"
"among other enhancements, V2 minis are equipped with new argon Hall thrusters for on orbit maneuvering.
Developed by SpaceX engineers, they have 2.4x the thrust and 1.5x the specific impulse of our first gen thrusters. This will also be the first time ever that argon Hall thrusters are operated in space".
This will probably launch on Monday too, after Crew-6 is clear.
One of today's Starlink launches has been postponed 24 hrs, but the other seem to be going as planned
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe4S-q_gQaU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe4S-q_gQaU
100th straight successful landing, I believe they mean. That haven’t unintentionally lost one for over two years now (Booster 1059 on Feb 16th 2021). That’ll jinx it.
The 21 Starlink satellites were released ok. Elon posted a nice video of it, taken with a camera attached to one of the retaining bars:
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/16303944348472...
The retaining bars are now captive and swing back on the upper stage. They’ve even got little crush cores on them (the honeycomb section in the right of shot), so they don’t damage the rocket. Previously they were just jettisoned and would reenter after a few days. Now they reenter with the upper stage.
The 21 Starlink satellites were released ok. Elon posted a nice video of it, taken with a camera attached to one of the retaining bars:
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/16303944348472...
The retaining bars are now captive and swing back on the upper stage. They’ve even got little crush cores on them (the honeycomb section in the right of shot), so they don’t damage the rocket. Previously they were just jettisoned and would reenter after a few days. Now they reenter with the upper stage.
Yes, it’s clever stuff. It’s making a small operating profit now apparently. Although the Starlink division of SpaceX aren’t getting billed for the launches yet apparently. So there’s that.
Crew-6 is on its way now. Should arrive at the ISS early tomorrow morning.
The booster landed ok.
The Starlink flight from Vandenberg should finally get away tonight at 6.52 pm uk time.
Edit: Nope. Delayed again due to weather. Try again on Friday.
Crew-6 is on its way now. Should arrive at the ISS early tomorrow morning.
The booster landed ok.
The Starlink flight from Vandenberg should finally get away tonight at 6.52 pm uk time.
Edit: Nope. Delayed again due to weather. Try again on Friday.
Edited by Beati Dogu on Thursday 2nd March 19:44
fatbutt said:
On a side note, we've just bought starlink for our office. Not sorted installation yet but it all looks very modern.
Which variant did you get? I'm still looking for a family member who owns a small farm and currently uses a wireless line of sight link to the nearest village. Not sure which one is best.Gassing Station | Science! | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff