Starlink 'Group 3-02' has entered near-polar orbit
SpaceX has confirmed the placement of 46 new Starlink internet satellites, completing its 52nd privately funded dedicated broadband launch. The company has launched 2,904 Starlink satellites to date, including decommissioned satellites. A Falcon 9 v1.2 FT BL5 rocket launched the Starlinks (Starlink-52, Group 3-02) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on July 22, 2022 at 5:39 pm UTC (1:39 pm EDT). The payload, forty-six Starlink satellites, were placed in a final orbit of 97.6 degrees of inclination in a south-southwest trajectory with an average altitude of 540 km.
After the separation of the stages, the 'core' of the first stage landed on the drone ferry ASDS "Of Course I Still Love You(OCISLY), stationed in the Pacific Ocean. Falcon 9's first stage (B1071) previously launched three missions: NROL-87, NROL-85 and SARah-1. Debris re-entry from the second stage was planned for the South Pacific.
The mission stats:
166th of a Falcon 9 rocket since 2010
174th launch of the Falcon rocket family since 2006
4th launch of Falcon 9 B1071 booster
108th flight of a reused Falcon booster
52nd dedicated launch of Starlink satellites
26th launch of SpaceX from Base Vandenberg Space Force
launch 32nd Falcon 9
launch of 2022 SpaceX's 32nd orbital launch 2022
7th Vandenberg-based orbital launch attempt 2022
Elon Musk's company reports that each Starlink satellite features a compact, flat-panel design that minimizes bulk, allowing a 'dense' launch 'stack' to take full advantage of the Falcon 9's launch capabilities. array” and two satellite dishes on each satellite. “At the end of their life cycle, satellites use their onboard propulsion system to deorbit over a few months.
In the unlikely event that your propulsion system becomes inoperative, satellites will burn up in Earth's atmosphere within 1 to 5 years, significantly less than the hundreds or thousands of years required at higher altitudes. In addition, Starlink components are designed for complete deactivation.”
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