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SpaceX scrubs Starlink v1.0 L9 mission - NASASpaceflight.com
Jul 08, 2020 3 mins, 18 secs

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SpaceX was set for their ninth launch of operational Starlink satellites, along with two satellites for BlackSky’s Earth observation constellation, on Wednesday, July 8 (11:59am EDT / 15:59 UTC).  However, despite the weather forecast issued by the 45th Space Wing the day before launch showing a 60% chance of acceptable weather, the conditions deteriorated ahead of T-0 causing a scrub.

government on June 30 and is preparing for as many as three more launches in July.  Upcoming launches later this month include a communications satellite for the South Korean government around July 14, a second synthetic aperture radar observation satellite for the Argentinian government around July 25, and another set of Starlink satellites

The main payload for this mission is a set of 57 satellites for the Starlink internet constellation.  At the top of the payload stack is a rideshare adapter holding its co-passengers.  The design of the rideshare adapter, which can hold two BlackSky sized satellites, allows it to take the place of one Starlink satellite.  If necessary two of the rideshare adapters can be used, as was done for the rideshare of three Planet SkySats on the previous Starlink launch

BlackSky’s fifth and sixth satellites in the SpaceX payload processing facility

The fifth and sixth satellites in the BlackSky constellation, which each mass 55 kg, are the first satellites manufactured by LeoStella, a joint venture of Spaceflight Industries and Thales Alenia Space.  Four more BlackSky satellites are scheduled to launch on an Indian SSLV rocket later this year, and the company hopes to launch another six on various missions through early 2021

Only two BlackSky satellites have been sent to SSO orbits that give a view of the entire globe.  The rest of the sixteen satellites are going to mid-inclination orbits that will allow more frequent observations of highly populated areas

This is the second of what is expected to be three consecutive rideshares on Starlink flights.  Planet launched three of their SkySats on the previous Starlink mission, and has three more manifested on the next mission that is expected to launch no earlier than late July.  The Starlink missions fill a niche in the rideshare market by providing frequent flights to mid-inclination orbits for passengers that can perform their own orbit raising from the low Starlink deployment orbits.  While recent Starlink missions have deployed to an altitude of approximately 200 x 380 km, pre-mission launch data on CelesTrak shows this mission is targeting a higher deployment orbit around 388 x 401 km.  The increase in altitude might make it easier for the BlackSky satellites to reach their operational orbits

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 18, 2020

Prior to the v1.0 L9 launch, SpaceX has launched 478 of the version 1.0 Starlink satellites towards the initial deployment of approximately 1500 satellites.  A few of those have had issues after launch, with five being deorbited already and a few more currently lowering their orbits.  It seems that about 460 of the 478 previously launch satellites are operational

SpaceX is preparing to begin beta testing the Starlink service in the coming months as the satellites from the first seven launches of v1.0 satellites are used to fill 18 evenly spaced orbital planes.  After the satellites from 12 launches of the v1.0 satellites reach their operational positions late in the year, populating 36 of the 72 orbital planes in the initial deployment, SpaceX hopes to initiate service in the northern US and southern Canada

Animation by Ben Craddock for NASASpaceflight of Starlink satellites filling their orbital planes since the beginning of 2020

Upon engine startup, the second stage will continue to carry all 60 satellites to a low Earth orbit, with an inclination of 53 degrees

Just over an hour into flight the BlackSky satellites will be released first from the top of the payload stack.  The first BlackSky satellite will separate at the T+1 hour 1 minute 32 second mark, followed by the second satellite at T+ 1 hour 6 minutes and 47 seconds.  After giving the BlackSky satellites some time to drift away, the Starlink satellites will deploy at the T+1 hour 32 minute 54 second mark

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