SpaceX 'StarLink' satellite service [Starlink & Starshield at war]

[Jammrock]

25 ms, eh. Latency sounds too good to be true. Even for a low orbit link.

[Dr Mordrid]

25 ms, eh. Latency sounds too good to be true. Even for a low orbit link.

That's for the 1,100 km orbits. For the lower LEO and VLEO satellites it could be as low as 15ms to the overhead birds.

This using the consumer or business rooftop phased array terminal, which talks directly to the constellation. Slower if the last mile is wired, optical or 5G.

The first batch ("dozens") of the 75 bird test constellation goes up May 15. Once they confirm the up/downlinks to ground stations work then the full constellation deployment starts later this year - up to 6 launches in 2019. The full constellations will route traffic around the world using laser sat-2-sat links - a laser mesh.

1,500+ satellites in the first flock, 4,409 in the LEO segment and 7,518 in the VLEO segment.

[Dr Mordrid]

StarLink

Date: May 15

Time: 22:30 EDT (02:30 UTC on the 16th)

Recovery: ASDS Of Course I Still Love You at 621km downrange, indicating a quite massive payload.

[Dr Mordrid]

60 satellites on a cob!!

So, 60 x 6 launches this year = up to 360 birds. Only need 800 to start service.

Elon Musk ✓ @elonmusk
First 60 @SpaceX Starlink satellites loaded into Falcon fairing. Tight fit.
https://t.co/gZq8gHg9uK

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1127388838362378241

Some fancy origami there...

IMG_20190511_215026.jpg

IMG_20190511_215032.jpg

Elon Musk ✔ @elonmusk
Replying to @elonmusk
These are production design, unlike our earlier Tintin demo sats
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Elon Musk ✔ @elonmusk
Much will likely go wrong on 1st mission. Also, 6 more launches of 60 sats needed for minor coverage, 12 for moderate.
|
Pranay Pathole @PPathole
Replying to @elonmusk @SpaceX
Holy crap that's a lot of satellites, it almost looks flat-packed! I wonder what the dispenser mechanism for that looks like?
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Elon Musk ✔ @elonmusk
It is flat-packed. No dispenser.
11:02 PM - May 11, 2019

[Dr Mordrid]

Game ON,

SpaceX ✔ @SpaceX
Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete targeting May 15 for launch of 60 Starlink satellites from Pad 40 in Florida
11:06 PM - May 13, 2019

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1128134469972447232

[Dr Mordrid]

Press kit

http://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/starlink_press_kit.pdf

With a flat-panel design featuring multiple high-throughput antennas and a single solar array, each Starlink satellite weighs approximately 227kg, allowing SpaceX to maximize mass production and take full advantage of Falcon 9's launch capabilities. To adjust position on orbit, maintain intended altitude, and deorbit, Starlink satellites feature Hall thrusters powered by krypton. Designed and built upon the heritage of Dragon, each spacecraft is equipped with a Startracker navigation system that allows SpaceX to point the satellites with precision. Importantly, Starlink satellites are capable of tracking on-orbit debris and autonomously avoiding collision. Additionally, 95 percent of all components of this design will quickly burn in Earth's atmosphere at the end of each satellite's lifecycle-exceeding all current safety standards-with future iterative designs moving to complete disintegration

[Dr Mordrid]

[Dr Mordrid]

EIGHTEEN.AND.A.HALF.FRACKING.TONNES?!?

Elon Musk ✔ @elonmusk
Starlink mission will be heaviest @SpaceX payload ever at 18.5 tons. If all goes well, each launch of 60 satellites will generate more power than Space Station & deliver 1 terabit of bandwidth to Earth.
9:26 PM - May 15, 2019

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1128834111878193155

[Dr Mordrid]

Moved to 2300 EDT (03:00 UTC)

[Dr Mordrid]

Scrubbed; upper level winds. Trying again tomorrow.

[Dr Mordrid]

Thursdays webcast

[Dr Mordrid]

SpaceX ✓ @SpaceX
Starlink and Falcon 9 are looking good, and winds are better for tonights launch. The 1.5 hour launch window opens at 10:30 p.m. EDT

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1129125902174941184

[Dr Mordrid]

/sigh

SpaceX ✔ @SpaceX
Standing down to update satellite software and triple-check everything again. Always want to do everything we can on the ground to maximize mission success, next launch opportunity in about a week.
8:26 PM - May 16, 2019

[Dr Mordrid]

Likely similar times to the first tries

May 23, 22:30 Eastern (May 24, 02:30 UTC)

SpaceX ✔ @SpaceX
Now targeting May 23 for launch of Starlink from Pad 40 in Florida
12:47 PM - May 20, 2019

https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1130500331698364418

[Dr Mordrid]