On Monday October 30th at 7:20pm, SpaceX successfully launched its next group of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit from LC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Under clear skies and calm winds, the Falcon 9 rose skyward then headed southeast. B1077 served as the first stage on its eighth flight. It previously supported Crew-5, GPS-III/06, Inmarsat 16-F2, CRS-28, Galaxy 37, and two Starlink missions. This was the 267th launch of the reliable rocket, the 78th this year, and the 59th of 2023 from the Space Coast of Florida. An attempt the day before was called off due to a computer-detected issue with the stage separation system.
Photo credit John Howard with SpaceX FrontPage
Thirty-five minutes before launch, super-chilled RP-1 kerosene flowed into both stages. Liquid oxygen, needed for combustion, began to fill simultaneously. For spectators, the T-20 big vent confirms fueling progress. Sixteen minutes before t-zero, LOX flowed in the second stage, which is always a brand-new vehicle. Computers ensured milestones were executed on time, including engine chill-down and tank pressurization. The launch director verified go for launch at T-45 seconds. A flash of green from the TEA / TAB, a liquid used to start the nine Merlin engines, commenced ignition.
Booster B1077 separation occurred 2:29 seconds later. As the second stage ignited its lone engine moments later, the first performed a flip maneuver to start its reuse journey. Grid fins and cold gas thrusters aligned the descending stage. Six minutes after launch, three engines ignited for the entry burn. This began to slow down the rocket as it lowered to the Atlantic Ocean. Aligned with Just Read The Instructions, an automated barge, the landing burn allowed B1077 to gently touch down on the automated barge’s deck.
As the second stage continued to propel the payload, the fairings which protect the cargo during atmospheric ascent, split in two then peeled away from the rocket. They coasted to the ocean, slowed by parachutes. Bob, stationed nearby, will scoop the fairing halves for reuse. Second stage fired for six minutes then shut down to enter a coast phase. One short burn occurred before deploying 23 Starlink V2 mini satellites, about an hour and five minutes after launch. The spent stage performs adjustments to line it up with entry and burn-up over the Indian Ocean. Starlinks take several weeks to reach their final. They will join almost 5,000 operational machines, providing high-speed low-latency internet to underserved rural locations, cruise ships, airlines, and mobile users.
Photos credit Sarah Howard with SpaceX FrontPage
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