Clouds were staying offshore so launch has decided to wait for a foggy day. pic.twitter.com/HjqJN7GN1v

Michael Baylor  (@nextspaceflight) December 15, 2022

Meanwhile, the launch of NASA's SWOT on Falcon 9 has been delayed 24 hours "to complete data reviews and analysis before a launch attempt." This analysis is in regard to moisture found in two Stage 1 Merlin engines. https://t.co/Y7HR53Qyfk

Thomas Burghardt  (@TGMetsFan98) December 15, 2022

Targeting Friday, December 16 for Falcon 9’s launch of the @SES_Satellites O3b mPOWER mission from SLC-40 in Florida ? https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK

SpaceX  (@SpaceX) December 16, 2022

We are prioritizing launch of the O3b mPOWER mission on Friday afternoon, and setting up for launch of Starlink on Saturday, December 17

SpaceX  (@SpaceX) December 16, 2022

3 Launches in 2 days!

Rocket Lab is also scheduled for a launch tomorrow 5-8pm EST for their first launch from Wallops.

L-1 day

\uD83D\uDE80Mission: Virginia is for Launch Lovers
\uD83D\uDDD3? Date: Dec 16
? Time: 6-8 pm ET
\uD83D\uDEF0? Payload: 3x sats for @hawkeye360
\uD83C\uDF0D Launch site: LC-2 @NASA_Wallops
\uD83D\uDCFA Webcast: https://t.co/RyD0mCOY3H pic.twitter.com/zv2JKkmMNS

Rocket Lab  (@RocketLab) December 15, 2022

Wallops Rocketlab launch is now NET Dec 18

nailed it

NASA coverage is an insufferable litany of wokeness and pandering.

It looked like the boost back burn might have been good from the ground.

Mission:  Falcon 9, O3b mPower

1) Background info: Source

"A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the first two O3b mPOWER broadband internet satellites into Medium Earth Orbit for SES of Luxembourg. The satellites, built by Boeing, will provide internet services over most of the populated world, building on SES’s O3b network. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean."

2) Launch window:    4:21 - 5:49 PM EST (16 December 2022).  New T-0 of 5:48 PM EST

3) Launch Site:   SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

4) Launch direction:  East

5) Webcast viewing options:

a. SpaceX webcast (Starts about 15 minutes before liftoff)

b.  YouTube:



6)  Observation comments:     This could be a good jellyfish event.

Sunset is 5:28 PM EST and civil twilight is at 5:54 PM.

If you have visibility, go out and look.

7) Launch preparations:

a.  Boats heading out.


Gav Cornwell@SpaceOffshore.    On Friday afternoon SpaceX is planning a Falcon 9 doubleheader with launches occurring just over 30 mins apart from Florida.    Both missions will feature a droneship landing, these will happen approx ~520 km apart from each other in the Atlantic Ocean.

b.   Satellites:


The O3b mPower 1 & 2 satellites. (Credit: Boeing)


SES’s first two O3b mPOWER satellites stacked on top of another, ready for encapsulation inside SpaceX’s launcher fairing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Credit: SpaceX

c.  Ready for launch:


Two O3b mPOWER satellites owned by SES are enclosed inside the Falcon 9 rocket’s payload fairing for liftoff Friday. Credit: Michael Cain / Spaceflight Now / Coldlife Photography

d.  Navigation warning:


Gav Cornwell Retweeted.   Raul@Raul74Cz.   Launch Hazard Areas for #MPOWER-A mission from CCSFS SLC-40, valid for NET 16 Dec 21:21 UTC, altern.17 to 22 Dec based on issued NOTMAR/NOTAM. Booster landing 672km downrange. Estimated fairing recovery position approx. 790km downrange. http://bit.do/LHA21

8) First stage return/ocean recovery/disposal:    Drone ship ASOG

9) Launch to deployment events/timeline:      

Hours:Minutes:Seconds after lift-off.  Times approximate.  

00:02:33   1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
00:02:35   1st and 2nd stages separate
00:02:44   2nd stage engine starts
00:03:22   Fairing deployment
00:06:33   1st stage entry burn start
00:06:55   1st stage entry burn complete
00:08:03   2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)
00:08:24   1st stage landing burn start
00:08:27   1st stage landing
00:27:10   2nd stage engine starts (SES-2)
00:27:43   2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-2)
01:49:52   2nd stage engine starts (SES-3)
01:50:18   2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-3)
01:53:19   First O3b mPOWER satellite deploy
02:00:19   Second O3b mPOWER satellite deploys

[b]10)  Orbit destination:[/]  8,000 km Medium Earth Orbit (MEO).  Falcon 9 will deliver the satellites to a MEO transfer orbit.


Artist’s illustration of the O3b mPOWER constellation in Medium Earth Orbit. Credit: SES

New T-0 of 5:21 p.m. ET for launch of the @SES_Satellites O3b mPOWER mission from SLC-40

SpaceX  (@SpaceX) December 16, 2022

Now targeting 5:48 p.m. ET for Falcon 9's launch of the @SES_Satellites O3b mPOWER mission

SpaceX  (@SpaceX) December 16, 2022

That is the end of the launch window for today.  There is always tomorrow.

Thanks for the updates Chokey.   I just realized this could be a good jellyfish event.

Sunset at the launch site is 5:28 PM EST and civil twilight is at 5:54 PM.

If you have visibility, go out and look.

Webcast is starting

I don't suppose this will be visible in the northeast

Low clouds here didn't see anything

uh-oh

Where's the video?

No.  It is going easterly.

I don't think they're nailing this one.

Possibly.  Last data from the booster was around 24.8 kilometers.  During the ascent there was some sort of gaseous discharge on the left side of the upper stage near the top that did not seem typical.

Haven't seen a failure of that magnitude from SpaceX in a long, Long time

Did they just totally stop following stage 1? Haven't seen it since re-entry burn...

There is the jellyfish

Landing confirmed

ah, stage 1 landing confirmed.

nailed it

Looks like the booster made it back to the ship in one piece

Good!

Saw it here in Myrtle Beach SC

Just joined and entered the broadcast too....what is the 3 sentence catch-me-up?

Impressive. Looked like it had a possible nitrogen leak

Did you notice the jellyfish effect after the second stage ignited?

Is it raining where the droneship is?  Maybe some heavy wave action?  Looks like there's lots of water spray in the video.

Stage 2 telemetry did not update during that burn.

There it is.   Good post burn #2 orbit.

Caught a whole 10 seconds of the launch before it punched through a fairly thick cloud layer.
Heard it for about one minute after it vanished though, oh well.

Nice.  I was sure they lost it.

Sure did, I was coming home from dinner with friends and saw what I thought was contrail from a jet, soon as second stage lit I knew it was Space X at work. Impressive

My wife and I both saw it.  We both said at the same time "Is that a comet?"

It was really cool...and we are 90 miles inland in Fayetteville NC

What a ripoff.  I did not see either satellite deploy.   I don't know where the camera was looking or why they didn't use the other forward facing camera.

You saw the jellyfish effect as well?

The following were seen from North Carolina





Credit:   NCSpaceOps@ncspaceops.     We had great views of @SpaceX's launch of O3b mPower 1&2 tonight and were treated to an awesome twilight effect over #SOBX & #CoastalNC! #spacex #nc #NorthCarolina #twilighteffect #jellyfisheffect

Mission:  Falcon 9, Starlink 4-37

1) Background info: Source

"A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch with another batch (54) of Starlink internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean."

2) Launch window:    4:32 PM EST (17 December 2022).

3) Launch Site:   LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

4) Launch direction:  Northeast

5) Webcast viewing options:

a. SpaceX webcast (Starts about 5 minutes before liftoff)

b.  YouTube:



6)  Observation comments:     None.

7) Launch preparations:

a.  Boats heading out.


Gav Cornwell@SpaceOffshore.    On Friday afternoon SpaceX is planning a Falcon 9 doubleheader with launches occurring just over 30 mins apart from Florida.    Both missions will feature a droneship landing, these will happen approx ~520 km apart from each other in the Atlantic Ocean.

b.   Satellites:

c.  Ready for launch:


A Falcon 9 rocket stands on Launch Complex 39A on Dec. 16, ready for launch with 54 more Starlink internet satellites. Credit: Stephen Clark / Spaceflight Now

d.  Navigation warning:

8) First stage return/ocean recovery/disposal:    Drone ship JRTI

9) Launch to deployment events/timeline:      

Hours:Minutes:Seconds after lift-off.  Times approximate.  

00:02:27   1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
00:02:31   1st and 2nd stages separate
00:02:38   2nd stage engine starts
00:02:42   Fairing deployment
00:06:47   1st stage entry burn start
00:07:06   1st stage entry burn complete
00:08:28   1st stage landing burn start
00:08:41   2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)
00:08:49   1st stage landing
00:15:22   Starlink satellites deploy

10)  Orbit destination:  Starlink shell #4.   144 miles by 208 miles (232 kilometers by 335 kilometers), 53.2 degrees inclination

"SpaceX plans to launch 54 more Starlink internet satellites Saturday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, using a Falcon 9 booster making its 15th flight to space, a record for the company’s reusable rocket fleet."

There is a backup launch time of 4:52 PM EST.

Webcast is live

nailed it

Congrats to SpaceX Team on 3 perfect orbital launches within 36 hours!!!

Elon Musk  (@elonmusk) December 17, 2022

Falcon 9 launch viewed from a plane!
(Unknown credit) pic.twitter.com/WTYU3Rawqg

Primal Space  (@thePrimalSpace) December 17, 2022

I saw the Starlinks from today's launch at 5:43 PM MST and they were naked eye bright.  Very nice pass.

Do we have a Rocket Lab thread?

Here's the live launch for LC-2 in Virginia. "Virginia is for Launch Lovers"

Looks like the Rocket Lab launch is scrubbed.

Well... Worse things happen. Rocket Lab doesn't seem to subscribe to the, "it blew up... Cool!" Mode of doing launches.

2 rockets in 23 hours, night, and day all in one frame:

Friday night SES O3b mPOWER launch on right, Saturday afternoon Starlink launch on left a mere 23 hours later.

With these 2 FL launches & 1 other (launched from CA), #SpaceX launched 3 rockets in under 34 hours. pic.twitter.com/ykc27n53O3

— Michael Seeley (@Mike_Seeley) December 19, 2022

Mission:  Falcon 9, Starlink 5-1

1) Background info: Source

"A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink internet satellites. This mission will be the first into Shell 5 of the Starlink constellation, targeting a polar 43 degree inclination orbit after liftoff from Cape Canaveral. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean."

2) Launch window:    4:34 AM EST (28 December 2022).

3) Launch Site:   SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida

4) Launch direction:  Southeast

5) Webcast viewing options:

a. SpaceX webcast (Starts about 5 minutes before liftoff)

b.  YouTube:



6)  Observation comments:     More northerly US coastal states (Northern FL, GA, SC, NC, VA) will not have the same visibility as when it is a northeasterly launch.  People south of the launch site and especially the Bahamas will have better viewing.

7) Launch preparations:

a.  Boats heading out.


Gav Cornwell@SpaceOffshore.   Departure! A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship departed Port Canaveral last night to support Starlink 5-1 NET Dec 28th. Tug Crosby Skipper is towing.


Gav Cornwell@SpaceOffshore.   Doug departed Port Canaveral around 1am this morning to support Starlink 5-1

b.   Satellites:  Not found

c.  Ready for launch:   Not found

d.  Navigation warning:


Raul@Raul74Cz.      LHA map for #Starlink Group 5-1 from CCSFS SLC-40 NET 28 Dec 09:45 UTC, altern.29 Dec to 03 Jan. B1062.11 planned landing with estimated fairing recovery ~660km downrange. Dogleg to final inclination 43° according S2 debris reentry area south of Cape Town.

8) First stage return/ocean recovery/disposal:    Drone ship ASOG

9) Launch to deployment events/timeline:      

Hours:Minutes:Seconds after lift-off.  Times approximate.  

00:02:29  1st stage main engine cutoff (MECO)
00:02:32  1st and 2nd stages separate
00:02:39  2nd stage engine starts
00:02:44  Fairing deployment
00:06:44  1st stage entry burn start
00:07:00  1st stage entry burn complete
00:08:26  1st stage landing burn start
00:08:38  2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)
00:08:47  1st stage landing
00:18:43  Starlink satellites deploy

10)  Orbit destination:  Starlink shell #5.   Insertion orbit 212 kilometers by 338 kilometers, 43 degrees inclination.  Note Generation 1 shell #5 was at an inclination of 97.6 degrees.  The 43 degree inclination for this flight could be compared to a Generation #2 shell.    Uncertainty surrounds this flight.

SpaceX’s last Starlink launch of 2022 is a bit of a mystery

"This launch marks the first of Starlink’s upgraded network. Under our new license, we are now able to deploy satellites to new orbits that will add even more capacity to the network. Ultimately, this enables us to add more customers and provide faster service – particularly in areas that are currently over-subscribed."  Source:  SpaceX