Falcon 9 – Starlink Team 6-27
The first launch of the week is by SpaceX, which will launch another 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit (LEO). This flight is expected to start on Nov. 7 at 11:01 PM EST (Nov. 8 at 04:01 UTC) from SLC-40 at CCSFS in Florida.
Falcon 9 booster B1073-11 is scheduled to launch this year’s 52nd Starlink mission. The booster has previously supported SES-22, HAKUTO-R Mission 1, Dispasat Amazonas Nexus, CRS-27, and six Starlink missions. The upper stage will then take these 23 satellites into 284 by 293-kilometer LEO while the booster returns to the droneship. Just Read the Instructionswhich will be 630 kilometers down to reach this upgrade.
Starlink v2-mini satellites are on display for this launch. They are the second generation of Starlink satellites designed to provide high-speed Internet access worldwide due to their placement in LEO. The launch of the satellites will be at 230 kilometers where they will increase their altitude up to their final operational orbit of 530 kilometers.
Chang Zheng 3B/E – Zhongxing-6E
The only rocket to launch this week that isn’t a Falcon 9 will be the Chang Zheng 3B/E from LC-2 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China. This will be the fifth launch of the Chang Zheng 3B/E this year. Scheduled to launch on Nov. 9 at 11:30 UTC for his 150th career of all time.
The payload inside the 4.2-metre-diameter fairing is believed to be the Zhongxing-6E satellite. This satellite is a communications satellite placed in geosynchronous orbit above China and is intended to follow Zhongxing-6B. Zhongxing-6B was used for TV broadcasting and shortwave radio communication, so Zhongxing-6E will probably be used for the same reasons, but with updated technology.
Falcon 9 – Transporter 9
SpaceX continues its Falcon 9 launch this week with its ninth rideshare mission. Transporter 9 is expected to be launched on Nov. 9 at 10:47 PM PST (06:47 UTC on Nov. 10) launched from pad SLC-4E at VSFB in California.
Although the booster is unknown, it is known that there will be a reentry point after the launch, back to Landing Zone 4. Transporter 9 will take a number of satellites into a sun-aligned orbit, getting many out of the way. to enter their designated route. Since this campaign is a throwback to the launch of the site, there will be no drone ship involved in getting the booster. However, both fairings will be put back down GO Beyond.
This is SpaceX’s dedicated rideshare service. These devices help many small satellites into orbit starting at a very low price of $275,000 US for a satellite weighing up to 50 kilograms. There are many different configurations that rideshare buyers can purchase, with options up to 300 pounds. SpaceX has these missions approximately every four months, allowing many small satellite companies or class projects with sufficient access to space.
Falcon 9 – CRS SpX-29
Keeping the ISS supplied, SpaceX is sending its third Falcon 9 this week to LEO. Using the Cargo Dragon capsule, SpaceX plans to continue its NASA-acquired CRS mission. This launch took place on Nov. 9 off the history pad, LC-39A at KSC in Florida at 8:28 PM EST (Nov. 10 at 1:28 UTC).
This mission is SpaceX’s 29th CRS mission to the ISS and the ninth under the CRS second stage. The unknown booster will put the supply into a 51.66-degree inclined orbit, the same orbit as the ISS. After that the second stage and the Cargo Dragon will take them another way to get there. The booster will plan to return to Landing Zone 1 at KSC and will not require a drone ship.
This will be the second flight of the Cargo Dragon C211. It took SpaceX 348 days to refit and relaunch the capsule following its launch in late November last year. It will dock at the ISS’s Harmony port after just 29 hours in space. This will be Falcon 9’s 78th mission this year and its 273rd mission to date.
Falcon 9 – O3b mPOWER 5 & 6
This week’s fourth and final Falcon 9 launch is scheduled to carry two O3b mPOWER satellites into the equatorial MEO transmission orbit for satellite communications network provider SES. SpaceX announced that the launch is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 12 at 4:08 PM EST (21:08 UTC) and will depart from pad SLC-40 at CCSFS in Florida.
This will be the fourth SES Falcon 9 launch to put its satellites into orbit and the second launch by SpaceX from SLC-40 this week.
These are the fifth and sixth satellites that Boeing has built for the SES, although they have not come without problems. On October 31, SES announced that electrical problems had caused a significant reduction in operations.
This problem, which caused the satellites to periodically turn off their power modules, will cause SES to have to put two more O3b mPOWER satellites into orbit just to get the same expected bandwidth they originally planned for.
There are also significant improvements that Boeing will need to make before the satellites can be launched. Since the problem has just occurred, the satellites aboard the Falcon 9 will not have an upgrade.
SES indicated that they do not expect to spend more on the constellation due to the risk-sharing agreement with Boeing. Boeing is now expected to lose $315 million on the first contract because of the problem.
Due to reduced bandwidth, at least three additional launches will now be required to complete the O3b mPOWER constellation.
If no more problems arise, the constellation will probably open later in 2024. If you are online, you will provide internet access to many hard-to-reach places. This includes cruise ships and commercial vessels as well as offshore energy such as oil and gas mining.
It is also there to protect military units, and in some cases, the common man by creating a signal that always works.
