Falcon 9 Starlink 6-1 Launch, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 Launches 21 Next Generation Starlink Satellites
February 27, 2023 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 21 next generation Starlink satellites at 6:13 p.m. EST today from Launch Pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The first stage booster employed today was being flown for the third time, having previously supported the CRS-26 and ONEWEB-16 missions. The booster was successfully recovered today with a landing on the "A Shortfall of Gravitas" drone ship, positioned on the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral. The mission, designated Starlink 6-1, brings to a total of 4,002 Starlink satellites launched to date, although not all of these are operational or still in orbit.
Falcon 9 Starlink 6-1 Launch, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
This was the first launch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites, an upgrade from previous Version 1.5 Starlink satellites. The V2 Minis are about twice as large as previous versions, weighing 1,760 pounds each with a 100-foot solar power wingspan. The satellites use new Argon Hall argon-burning thrusters for on-orbit maneuvering and will be deployed at an altitude of 230 miles at an inclination of 43 degrees. Starlink is a SpaceX-owned and operated constellation of broadband Internet satellites intended to provide space-based Internet service to users worldwide. The service is currently available on all seven continents serving over one million users.
Falcon 9 Starlink 6-1 Downrange, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 Inmarsat-6F2 Launch, Photo Courtesy SpaceX
Falcon 9 Launches Inmarsat-6F2 Satellite
February 17, 2023 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the Inmarsat-6F2 satellite at 10:59 p.m. EST today from Launch Pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The first stage booster employed today was being flown for the third time, having previously supported the Crew-5 and GPS III-SV06 missions. The booster was successfully recovered today with a landing on the "Just Read the Instructions" drone ship, positioned on the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles east of Cape Canaveral. The Inmarsat-6F2 satellite, owned and operated by British company Inmarsat and built by Airbus Defense and Space, is intended to provide mobile communications services to aircraft and ships in the Atlantic Ocean and East Coast of the United States. It will be deployed to geostationary orbit about 22,000 miles above Earth.
Falcon 9 Inmarsat-6F2 Launch, Photo Courtesy SpaceX
Falcon 9 Starlink 5-4 Launch, Photo Courtesy SpaceX
Falcon 9 Launches 55 Starlink Satellites
February 12, 2023 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 55 Starlink satellites at 12:10 a.m. EST today from Launch Pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The first stage booster employed today was being flown for the twelfth time, having previously supported the GPS III-SV04, GPS III-SV05, Inspiration4, Axiom-1, Nilesat-301 and six Starlink missions. The booster was successfully recovered today with a landing on the "A Shortfall of Gravitas" drone ship, positioned on the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral. The mission, designated Starlink 5-4, brings to a total of 3,930 Starlink satellites launched to date, although not all of these are operational or still in orbit. Starlink is a SpaceX-owned and operated constellation of broadband Internet satellites, intended to provide space-based Internet service to users worldwide. The service is currently available on all seven continents with over one million subscribers.
Falcon 9 Starlink 5-4 Streak Shot, Photo Courtesy SpaceX
Falcon 9 Amazonas Nexus Launch, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 Launches Amazonas Nexus Satellite
February 6, 2023 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the Amazonas Nexus satellite at 8:32 p.m. EST today from Launch Pad 40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Launch was delayed about 24 hours due to bad launch site and recovery weather. The first stage booster employed today was being flown for the sixth time, having previously supported the SES-22, HAKUTO-R and three Starlink missions. The booster was successfully recovered today with a landing on the "Just Read the Instructions" drone ship, positioned on the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles east of Cape Canaveral. Amazonas Nexus, owned and operated by Spanish company Hispasat and built by Thales Alenia Space, is designed to provide space-based Internet service to aircraft, ships, other mobile users and rural areas in the Americas, Greenland and the Atlantic Ocean. The satellite will be placed in a geostationary orbit 22,000 miles above Earth at 61 degrees west longitude.
Falcon 9 Amazonas Nexus Streak Shot, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
CAPTIONFalcon 9 Amazonas Nexus Downrange, Photo Courtesy Carleton Bailie/Spaceline
Falcon 9 Starlink 5-3 Streak Shot, Photo Courtesy SpaceX
Falcon 9 Launches 53 Starlink Satellites
February 2, 2023 | Reported by Cliff Lethbridge
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 53 Starlink satellites at 2:58 a.m. EST today from Launch Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. The first stage booster employed today was being flown for the fifth time, having previously supported the CRS-24, Hotbird-13F, OneWeb-15 and one Starlink mission. The booster was successfully recovered today with a landing on the "A Shortfall of Gravitas" drone ship, positioned on the Atlantic Ocean about 400 miles southeast of Cape Canaveral. The mission, designated Starlink 5-3, brings to a total of 3,875 Starlink satellites launched to date, although not all of these are operational or still in orbit. Starlink is a SpaceX-owned and operated constellation of broadband Internet satellites, intended to provide space-based Internet service to users worldwide. The service is currently available on all seven continents to over one million subscribers.
Falcon 9 Starlink 5-3 Downrange, Photo Courtesy SpaceX
