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Whereas SpaceX is getting ready to fly Starship on its sixth built-in check flight subsequent week, the corporate flew one satellite tv for pc and plans to fly one other to geostationary switch orbit this week. In the meantime, three Starlink missions have been scheduled to fly this week, with one already having flown.
There might be one different Starlink flight launching from Florida and one launching from California, whereas Starlink 6-66 has now moved outdoors of this week to Nov. 21. Over in China, an unknown orbital mission is about to launch from Taiyuan and a cargo resupply mission to the nation’s Tiangong area station is scheduled to fly from Wenchang.
The Koreasat 6A communications satellite tv for pc launched aboard a Falcon 9 from Launch Advanced 39A (LC-39A) on the Kennedy Area Middle in Florida on Monday, Nov. 11, at 12:22 PM EST (17:22 UTC). This mission is the primary to make use of LC-39A for the reason that launch of NASA’s Europa Clipper atop a Falcon Heavy in October. LC-39A should be transformed to assist Falcon Heavy, which means Falcon 9 can’t fly from the pad within the weeks earlier than and after a Falcon Heavy launch.
Falcon 9 booster B1067-23 took an eastward flight path that allowed the payload to be inserted into geostationary switch orbit (GTO), whereas the booster performed a return to launch website (RTLS) touchdown with a secure landing at Touchdown Zone 1 (LZ-1). This was solely the second RTLS restoration for a booster flying a satellite tv for pc to GTO after the Ovzon-3 mission on Jan. 3 of this yr.
The three,500 kg Koreasat 6A satellite tv for pc makes use of the Thales Alenia Area Spacebus 4000B2 platform and is designed for a 15-year design life. It will likely be positioned within the 116-degree east slot to supply mounted and broadcasting satellite tv for pc service to South Korea, with 20 transponders for mounted service and 6 transponders for TV broadcasting service. The satellite tv for pc will substitute the Koreasat 6 spacecraft, which launched in 2010.
Though the mission utilized an RTLS restoration, SpaceX nonetheless despatched considered one of their restoration operations ships, Bob, to sea to retrieve the payload fairings that coated Koreasat 6A throughout launch. Fairings may be costly to make and SpaceX has perfected their retrieval and reuse, saving on launch and manufacturing prices.
This flight was the 107th Falcon 9 launch of 2024 in addition to the 109th Falcon household mission of the yr. As well as, B1067 joined two different boosters — B1061 and B1062 — which have flown 23 occasions, which is the present file for variety of occasions {that a} booster has flown.
Falcon 9 on the pad at SLC-40. (Credit score: Julia Bergeron)
SpaceX Falcon 9 | Starlink 6-69
The Starlink 6-69 mission, delayed from Sunday, Nov. 10 on account of climate circumstances within the restoration space, launched on Monday, Nov. 11, only a few hours after the Koreasat 6A launch. Liftoff occurred from Area Launch Advanced-40 (SLC-40) on the Cape Canaveral Area Power Station (CCSFS) at 4:28 PM EST (21:28 UTC).
Falcon booster B1080-12 flew on a southeast trajectory and landed on SpaceX’s droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas. The mission carried 24 Starlink v2 Mini satellites to low-Earth orbit (LEO); earlier than this flight there have been 7,256 Starlink satellites of all variations launched, with 2,542 of those being the second era v2 Mini kind. Starlink 6-69’s satellites have been deployed in an preliminary orbit of 281 km by 291 km at an inclination of 43 levels.
This flight was the 108th Falcon 9 mission of 2024 and the one hundred and tenth Falcon household mission of the yr. It was additionally the second Falcon 9 launch from Florida of the day.
A Chang Zheng 4C ignites its 4 YF-21C first stage engines seconds earlier than liftoff. (Credit score: Xinhua)
CASC Chang Zheng 4C | Unknown Payload
China is scheduled to launch a rocket, believed to be a Chang Zheng 4C (CZ-4C), from LC-9 at Taiyuan Satellite tv for pc Launch Middle (TSLC) on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 22:50 UTC. Liftoff is scheduled for the beginning of a 33-minute launch window ending at 23:07 UTC. The payload is at the moment not identified.
If the rocket flying this mission is certainly a CZ-4C, this flight would be the third flight of 2024 for the CZ-4C and the 56th launch total for this rocket since 2006. The 45 m tall three-stage rocket, able to launching as much as 4,200 kg to LEO, has 53 successes in 55 flights thus far. The rocket makes use of storable however poisonous hypergolic fuels, whereas newer era Chang Zheng rockets use liquid oxygen because the oxidizer and fuels like hydrogen or methane.
TSLC is an inland launch base in Shanxi Province, and is primarily used to launch satellites into Solar-synchronous orbits along with being a ballistic missile check launch website. The payload is prone to be an Earth remark, climate, scientific, or reconnaissance satellite tv for pc, as these usually use Solar-synchronous orbits.
A view of a stack of Starlink satellites together with a Starlink Direct To Cell satellite tv for pc on the prime. The deployable antenna and its hinge can clearly be seen on this picture. (Credit score: SpaceX)
SpaceX Falcon 9 | Starlink Sept. 11
The second launch of Wednesday, Nov. 13, is a Starlink launch from Vandenberg Area Power Base (VSFB) in California. The launch of Starlink Sept. 11 from Area Launch Advanced-4E (SLC-4E) at VSFB is scheduled for 8:21 PM PST (04:21 UTC on Thursday, Nov. 14), at first of a four-hour window ending at 12:21 AM PST on Thursday, Nov. 14 (08:21 UTC).
The booster, B1082-8, is flying a batch of 20 Starlink satellites to LEO. This batch will embrace 13 Direct to Cell satellites and 7 of the unique v2 Mini satellites. Booster restoration is about to make the most of SpaceX’s Of Course I Nonetheless Love You droneship, which might be stationed downrange within the Pacific.
B1082-8’s earlier flights embrace USSF-62 and OneWeb #20 together with 5 Starlink missions. This flight would be the 109th Falcon 9 launch of 2024 and the 111th Falcon household flight of the yr. With a profitable launch, the variety of Direct to Cell satellites in orbit will rise from 271 to 284.
Each Falcon flight till the top of the yr is now setting a brand new file for the variety of Falcon 9 and Falcon household missions flown in a single calendar yr. There have been 148 Falcon 9 missions deliberate for this yr, however a number of temporary pauses in flying pressured by mission anomalies or climate circumstances won’t permit that concentrate on to be met.
22 Starlink satellites are deployed on the Group 10-8 mission. (Credit score: SpaceX)
SpaceX Falcon 9 | Starlink 6-68
SpaceX is scheduled to fly the Starlink 6-68 mission from SLC-40 at CCSFS on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 5:33 AM EST (10:33 UTC) at first of a four-hour window ending at 9:33 AM EST (14:33 UTC).
Starlink 6-68, whose booster shouldn’t be but identified, is to fly on a southeast trajectory from CCSFS. A batch of Starlink v2 Mini satellites might be deployed to LEO, whereas the booster might be recovered on Simply Learn the Directions within the Atlantic.
If present schedules maintain, this flight would be the one hundred and tenth Falcon 9 mission of 2024 and the 112th Falcon household launch of this yr.
CASC Chang Zheng 7 | Tianzhou 8
China’s second launch of the week is a flight to its Tiangong area station in LEO. The Tianzhou 8 mission will see a Tianzhou cargo resupply spacecraft fly to Tiangong atop a Chang Zheng 7 (CZ-7) Y9 rocket from LC-201 on the Wenchang Area Launch Web site on Hainan Island south of the Chinese language mainland. Launch is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 15, at 15:13 UTC, with CZ-7 lofting Tianzhou 8 into an orbit inclined 41 levels.
The Tianzhou 8 spacecraft, based mostly on the unique Tiangong-1 prototype area station launched in 2011, is carrying provides to Tiangong in the same method to the Progress, Cygnus, and Cargo Dragon spacecraft that fly to the Worldwide Area Station. This spacecraft, massing 13,000 kg, will provide the Shenzhou-19 crew at the moment aboard Tiangong.
A Tianzhou cargo ship earlier than its mission. (Credit score: China Information Service)
This flight is the fourth launch of a CZ-7 household rocket this yr and the seventeenth total mission of the CZ-7 household since 2016. The 2-stage CZ-7 rocket, outfitted with 4 liquid strap-on boosters, makes use of liquid oxygen and RP-1 kerosene, whereas the CZ-7A variant provides a 3rd stage that makes use of liquid oxygen and hydrogen for payloads going to greater orbits.
The ultimate launch scheduled for this week is the launch of the Optus-X Australian communications satellite tv for pc mission atop a Falcon 9 on Sunday, Nov. 17, at 4:29 PM EST (21:29 UTC) from LC-39A.
The booster, which isn’t but identified, is to fly on an eastward trajectory, injecting Optus-X into GTO. The present booster restoration technique shouldn’t be but public, however RTLS might be used if the satellite tv for pc’s mass and efficiency necessities permit it. In any other case, booster restoration could be on a droneship within the Atlantic.
The NGC MRV approaching a satellite tv for pc. Optus-X could also be a MRV mission. (Credit score: Northrop Grumman)
There may be not a lot publicly identified concerning the Optus-X payload, besides that it’s constructed by Northrop Grumman Company (NGC). Optus signed a contract in early 2022 with NGC and its SpaceLogistics wholly-owned subsidiary with SpaceX because the launch supplier for a mission extension pod (MEP) to be connected to the Optus D3 satellite tv for pc by the Mission Robotic Automobile (MRV) in 2025.
The MRV is SpaceLogistics’ next-generation on-orbit servicing car. It would use a robotic arm to put in the MEP onto the Optus D3 satellite tv for pc to increase its life by a minimum of six years. The Optus D2 satellite tv for pc’s anticipated finish of service in Could 2025, in addition to Optus-11’s delay till a minimum of 2027, will make this mission extra pressing.
Nevertheless, the Optus D3 satellite tv for pc is on the 156-degree east slot, whereas a US Federal Communications Fee doc references the Optus-X mission speaking on the 88-degree east geostationary slot with Northrop Grumman because the mission supervisor. The Singtel ST-2 satellite tv for pc, launched in 2011 by Arianespace, is stationed on the 88-degree east slot, and Singtel is the mother or father firm of Optus.
Optus-X is the 112th Falcon 9 mission this yr and the 114th Falcon household launch of 2024. If Optus-X is an MRV, it could observe two earlier NGC Mission Extension Automobile flights which have efficiently prolonged the lifetime of different geostationary satellites.
(Lead picture: A Falcon 9 sits on the pad at SLC-4E at Vandenberg Area Power Base. Credit score: SpaceX)
