It's great as-is.

I think it's great as is OP.

I'm in Ft. Myers and am able to see a lot of them.

Tomorrow at 3:21 probably not due to the weather.

But I love the landings.....

Mission:  Starlink 4-27

1) Background info: Source

"A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch with another batch of Starlink internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean."  Booster B1062-8

2) Launch window:    3:21 PM EDT  (19 August 2022).

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

4) Launch direction:  Northeast

5) Webcast viewing options:

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

b.  You Tube



6) Launch preparations:

a.  Boats heading out.


Gav Cornwell@SpaceOffshore.     Steamroller doesn't stop. ASOG droneship is about to depart for Starlink 4-27.
Tug Crosby Skipper will tow ~630 km downrange.

b.  Ready for launch.  

c.  Navigation warning:


Raul@Raul74Cz.  LHA map for #Starlink Group 4-27 from CCSFS SLC-40 NET 19 Aug 19:24 UTC, alternatively 20 to 26 Aug based on NOTMAR/NOTAMs. B1062.9 planned landing with roughly estimated fairing recovery approx. 656km downrange.

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

8) Launch to deployment events/timeline:      

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

00:02:28  First stage MECO (main engine cutoff)
00:02:32  Stage separation
00:02:38  Second stage starts
00:02:43  Fairing deployment
00:06:49  1st stage entry burn begins
00:07:08  1st stage entry burn ends
00:08:29  1st stage landing burn starts
00:08:33  2nd stage engine cutoff
00:08:49  1st stage landing
00:15:15  Satellites deployment

SpaceX twitter:  "Targeting Friday, August 19 for a Falcon 9 launch of 53 Starlink satellites to orbit from SLC-40 in Florida. Teams are keeping an eye on weather, which is currently 50% favorable for liftoff."

So far 50% chance of a go today. The weather pattern is forecast to be nearly identical to yesterday.
Central Florida recorded over 10,000 lightning strikes between 1 and 6 p.m. yesterday. Quite a show.

The lightning capitol of the world.

Current Cape Canaveral radar

Webcast music has begun

And away it goes!

I never get tired of watching this.

Hit the 10-ring this time!

The last 2 landings looked a bit sloppy.

Each fairing half is a fully capable reentry vehicle with its own thrusters, thermal protection, avionics & sensor suite

Elon Musk  (@elonmusk) August 19, 2022

Watched the launch from the local Target parking lot. We didn't get a light show until much later, it was clear as a bell for the launch.

Launch of Starlink 4-27 as seen by @NASASpaceflight Fleetcam at Port Canaveral!

Live 24/7: https://t.co/cPTKbURbfR pic.twitter.com/Qlp63LNK8F

— Gav Cornwell \uD83D\uDEA2\uD83D\uDE80 (@SpaceOffshore) August 19, 2022

The kind of traffic I don't mind waiting for


Attached File

Nice pic !

Mission:  Starlink 4-23

1) Background info: Source

"A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch with another batch of Starlink internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean."  Booster 1069-1


Jenny Hautmann@JennyHPhoto.      B1069 will be launching again on August 27th!    After its first launch (CRS-24) and landing in December 2021, it returned with a significant tilt. The Merlin engines were damaged & all 4 landing legs had to be removed & replaced.

2) Launch window:    11:41 PM EDT  (27 August 2022).

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

4) Launch direction:  Northeast

5) Webcast viewing options:

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

b.  You Tube



6)  Observation comments:  As a night time launch, people along the east coast and some distance inland should have a better chance to see it.  On one launch a person 50 or more miles inland in Virginia saw portions of the ascent.

If you want to look for the satellites in the days after deployment to see if they are bright and in a line, check out Heavens Above.  Update your position at the upper right then select the link to the left.  Verify that the correct launch time of 03:41 UTC is being used.   That website is maintained by a person in Europe who may not be awake to update the element set.

7) Launch preparations:

a.  Boats heading out.


Gav Cornwell@SpaceOffshore.   It only delivered B1062 to port 9 hours ago, but ASOG has been turned around and is heading downrange for Starlink 4-23.    Doug is towing.

b.  Ready for launch.  


A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands on Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ahead of liftoff with the Starlink 4-23 mission. Credit: Stephen Clark / Spaceflight Now

c.  Navigation warning:


Raul@Raul74Cz.  LHA map for #Starlink Group 4-27 from CCSFS SLC-40 NET 19 Aug 19:24 UTC, alternatively 20 to 26 Aug based on NOTMAR/NOTAMs. B1062.9 planned landing with roughly estimated fairing recovery approx. 656km downrange.  Note:  Starlink 4-23 should be similar.

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

9) Launch to deployment events/timeline:      

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

00:02:28  First stage MECO (main engine cutoff)
00:02:32  Stage separation
00:02:38  Second stage starts
00:02:43  Fairing deployment
00:06:46  1st stage entry burn begins
00:07:07  1st stage entry burn ends
00:08:28  1st stage landing burn starts
00:08:40  2nd stage engine cutoff
00:08:49  1st stage landing
00:15:21  Satellites deployment

10)  Orbit destination:  Starlink Shell 4; 540 km circular low-Earth orbit (LEO); initial orbit: 335 x 232 km low-Earth orbit at 53.22 degrees inclination.    Source





c.  Navigation warning  Starlink 3-4
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FaxqvuBXwAERkNJ?format=jpg&name=900x900

Raul@Raul74Cz
LHA map for #Starlink Group 3-4 from VSFB SLC-4E NET 27 Aug 05:30 UTC, altern. 28-31 Aug based on issued NOTMAR/NOTAMs. B1063.7 planned landing with roughly estimated fairing recovery approx. 640km downrange. Stage2 debris reentry in southern Pacific. http://bit.do/LHA19


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FbLYe6SVUAEVNH4?format=jpg&name=900x900
Gav Cornwell@SpaceOffshore.    Departure! Of Course I Still Love You droneship is outbound from the Port of Long Beach for Starlink 3-4

Visibility predictions.  I only have an element set for the completion of the second stage burn (About 1031 PM EDT)   My initial runs suggest that the second stage will pass close to Saturn.   The spacecraft will not be sunlit so only visible if you see the burn.

1)  Savannah GA.   At 1031 PM it will be around azimuth 55 degrees, elevation 5 degrees.  I would look around Saturn then scan towards the northeast horizon.

2)   Wilmington, NC.  Azimuth 60 degrees, elevation 7 degrees at 1031 PM EDT.   It should pass higher near Saturn than from Savannah.

3)  Norfolk, VA.  Azimuth 82 degrees, elevation 20 degrees at 1031 PM.  Saturn is around 150 degrees azimuth and 32 degrees elevation.

Overcast and drizzling, if it launches I won't be able to see it and I'm 5.9 miles from the Port.

Launch time now 11:41 PM EDT.

Radar and satellite views in posts #7 and #8 above.

stream intro music is up.

Looking good.

nailed it

Good landing, but accuracy was off.
They must be trying out a new method, because they were hitting the ten ring for months, but lately it's been all over the map.

I did see the satellites this morning at 536 AM MDT.  Eight degree elevation pass going through the Big Dipper in the north-northeast.   It was very faint in 7x50 binoculars.

Mission:  Starlink 3-4

1) Background info: Source

"A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch with another batch (46) of Starlink internet satellites. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean."

2) Launch window:    10:40 PM PDT (30 August 2022). (1:40 AM EDT on 31 August 2022)

3) Launch Site:   SLC-4E, Vandenberg Space Force Base, California

4) Launch direction:  South

5) Webcast viewing options:

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

b.  You Tube



6)  Observation comments:  The Falcon 9 will be in darkness through the first second stage burn.  

7) Launch preparations:

a.  Boats heading out.


Gav Cornwell@SpaceOffshore.    Departure! Of Course I Still Love You droneship is outbound from the Port of Long Beach for Starlink 3-4

b.  Ready for launch.  


Falcon 9 on the pad at SLC-4E at Vandenberg SFB. Credit: Pauline Acalin for NSF

c.  Navigation warning:


Raul@Raul74Cz.     LHA map for #Starlink Group 3-4 from VSFB SLC-4E NET 27 Aug 05:30 UTC, altern. 28-31 Aug based on issued NOTMAR/NOTAMs. B1063.7 planned landing with roughly estimated fairing recovery approx. 640km downrange. Stage2 debris reentry in southern Pacific. http://bit.do/LHA19

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

9) Launch to deployment events/timeline:      

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

00:02:28  First stage MECO (main engine cutoff)
00:02:32  Stage separation
00:02:38  Second stage starts
00:02:45  Fairing deployment
00:06:11  1st stage entry burn begins
00:06:31  1st stage entry burn ends
00:08:01  1st stage landing burn starts
00:08:23  1st stage landing
00:08:44  2nd stage engine cutoff
00:53:53  2nd stage engine starts
00:53:55  2nd stage engine cutoff
01:02:56  Satellites deployment

10 Orbit destination:   Starlink 3-3 was:   Starlink Shell 3; 560 km circular low-Earth orbit (LEO); initial orbit: 321 x 308 km at 97.66 degrees.   Source

20 minutes from stream going live.

Music started.

T - 1 minute

Nailed it.

Looked like a bulls eye.

Very much so !

Awesome shot!

.@NASA has awarded five additional missions to @SpaceX for crew transportation services to the @Space_Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract.
 
Learn more: https://t.co/12GqWw9KpU pic.twitter.com/LCfFd7jozW

— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) August 31, 2022

NASA has awarded SpaceX five additional crewed missions to the ISS.

– Contract modification for Crew-10 through 14

– Value of modification for the missions and services is $1.4 billion

– Runs through 2030 and brings total CCtCap contract value with SpaceX to $4.9 billion pic.twitter.com/wgg9Y8sBJr

Emre Kelly  (@EmreKelly) August 31, 2022

Here's what is wild about the NASA purchase of commercial crew seats. For development and operations of crew, NASA is going to pay Boeing a total of approximately $5.1 billion for six crew flights; and it is going to pay SpaceX a total of $4.9 billion for 14 flights.

Eric Berger  (@SciGuySpace) August 31, 2022

SpaceX targeting 100 launches in 2023

"CEO Elon Musk says that SpaceX is aiming to complete up to 100 launches in 2023 while the company continues to set records in 2022.

In the history of orbital spaceflight, no family of rockets – let alone a single variant like Falcon 9 – has completed more than 61 successful launches in one calendar year. The cadence target Musk is suggesting is unprecedented and would be an extraordinary challenge even for SpaceX, a company that just completed its 50th successful Falcon 9 launch in a little over 12 months. However, it’s less impossible than it sounds."

More details in the article.

Mission:  Starlink 4-20

1) Background info: Source

"A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch with another batch of Starlink internet satellites. This mission is also expected to launch Spaceflight’s propulsive Sherpa-LTC2 space tug, which will climb into a higher orbit with Boeing’s Varuna Technology Demonstration Mission, a pathfinder for a planned constellation of broadband satellites. The Varuna demo mission is a hosted payload on the Sherpa-LTC2 orbital transfer vehicle. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean."  

2) Launch window:    10:09 PM EDT  (4 September 2022).

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

4) Launch direction:  Northeast

5) Webcast viewing options:

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

b.  You Tube



6)   Observation Comments:   Falcon 9 will not be sunlit during ascent and at orbit insertion.

7) Launch preparations:

a.  Boats heading out.


Brady Kenniston@TheFavoritist.    Doug is towing the droneship downrange for Starlink 4-20.

b.  Ready for launch.


Source:  Stephen Marr, NASASpaceFlight.com
Note:  This may be a photo from the CSG-2 flight.

c.  Navigation warning (previous Starlink launch):


Raul@Raul74Cz.  LHA map for #Starlink Group 4-27 from CCSFS SLC-40 NET 19 Aug 19:24 UTC, alternatively 20 to 26 Aug based on NOTMAR/NOTAMs. B1062.9 planned landing with roughly estimated fairing recovery approx. 656km downrange.

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

9) Launch to deployment events/timeline:      

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

00:02:29  First stage MECO (main engine cutoff)
00:02:33  Stage separation
00:02:39  Second stage starts
00:03:13  Fairing deployment
00:06:06  1st stage entry burn begins  (time not verified)
00:06:36  1st stage entry burn ends
00:08:05  1st stage landing burn starts
00:08:27  1st stage landing
00:08:45  2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-1)
00:45:25  2nd stage engine starts (SES-2)
00:45:27  2nd stage engine cutoff (SECO-2)
00:49:28  Spaceflight’s Sherpa-LTC deploys
01:12:23  Starlink satellites deploy

10)  Orbit destination:   Starlink Shell 4; 540 km circular low-Earth orbit (LEO); initial orbit: 304 x 316 km x 53.22°
Varuna, 1,056 km circular LEO; initial orbit: same as Starlink.      Everyday Astronaut source

intro music is up.

T-1 min

That is a Bullseye!!!

Good stage 1 landing.

We may get to see deployments tonight.

Yea Jessie.

140th time main engines have returned. Damn SpaceX makes NASA look bad so easily.

Attached File

I have an excellent overhead pass of the Starlinks tomorrow morning at 541 AM MDT in Colorado.  Go to heavens-above.com and see if you have one similar.   Be sure to change the location at the upper right to one close to you.

The Starlink pass at 540 AM local was very nice.  I saw the satellites visually (no binoculars) when they were only about twelve degrees above the horizon in the northwest and the line of satellites got brighter as they got higher in the sky.