SpaceX Falcon 9 Live Landing Attempt
Just been watching You Only Live Twice. I can see where SpaceX gets its ideas from. 😁
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https://www.news24.com/fin24/Compani...in-uk-20210110
Elon Musk’s Starlink broadband terminals gets approval in UK
https://spacenews.com/fcc-grants-per...nk-satellites/
FCC grants permission for polar launch of Starlink satellites
Elon Musk’s Starlink broadband terminals gets approval in UK
https://spacenews.com/fcc-grants-per...nk-satellites/
FCC grants permission for polar launch of Starlink satellites
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Satellites
Too many satellites. Or not. Recently, I have been increasingly reading news about the development of 6g networks. China launched the first satellites to explore these networks. It is sometimes mentioned in articles that the new type of networks will make Starlink unnecessary. Although, on the other hand, 6g is still very far from the start of the deployment. So we just watch who is the first to do it.
Last edited by ThomaJo; 21st Jan 2021 at 10:59.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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https://www.space.com/spacex-starlin...anding-success
SpaceX rocket launches on record 8th flight carrying 60 Starlink satellites, nails landing
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched on a record 8th flight to send a new fleet of the company's Starlink internet satellites into orbit on Wednesday (Jan.20) and then nailed a landing at sea.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the historic Pad 39A here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 8:02 a.m. EDT (1202 GMT) carrying 60 new Starlink satellites for SpaceX's growing constellation in orbit. The launch came after two days of delay due to poor weather in the recovery zone and the need for extra pre-flight checks.
Approximately 9 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth, landing on one of SpaceX's drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean in a smooth touchdown. The massive ship, "Just Read the Instructions," is one of two in the company’s fleet of recovery vessels that catch falling boosters and return them to port........
The rocket featured in this launch is one of two record-setting boosters in SpaceX's Falcon 9 fleet. Known as B1051, this flight-proven booster is the first of SpaceX's fleet to make an 8th flight. It also marks one of SpaceX's shortest turnaround times between flights, as this particular booster last flew just over a month ago on Dec. 13........
SpaceX rocket launches on record 8th flight carrying 60 Starlink satellites, nails landing
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched on a record 8th flight to send a new fleet of the company's Starlink internet satellites into orbit on Wednesday (Jan.20) and then nailed a landing at sea.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the historic Pad 39A here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 8:02 a.m. EDT (1202 GMT) carrying 60 new Starlink satellites for SpaceX's growing constellation in orbit. The launch came after two days of delay due to poor weather in the recovery zone and the need for extra pre-flight checks.
Approximately 9 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth, landing on one of SpaceX's drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean in a smooth touchdown. The massive ship, "Just Read the Instructions," is one of two in the company’s fleet of recovery vessels that catch falling boosters and return them to port........
The rocket featured in this launch is one of two record-setting boosters in SpaceX's Falcon 9 fleet. Known as B1051, this flight-proven booster is the first of SpaceX's fleet to make an 8th flight. It also marks one of SpaceX's shortest turnaround times between flights, as this particular booster last flew just over a month ago on Dec. 13........
Are we seeing the two fairings way below the booster, tracking right to left behind the left grid pad, at the 6.26 minute mark? or is it a pair of little green men machines.
IG
IG
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55775977
SpaceX: World record number of satellites launched
A new world record has been set for the number of satellites sent to space on a single rocket.
The 143 payloads, of all shapes and sizes, rode to orbit on a SpaceX Falcon rocket that launched out of Florida. The number beats the previous record of 104 satellites carried aloft by an Indian vehicle in 2017......
SpaceX itself had 10 satellites on the Falcon - the latest additions to its Starlink telecommunications mega-constellation, which is going to deliver broadband internet connections around the globe.
San Francisco's Planet company had the most satellites of all on the flight - 48. These were another batch of its SuperDove models that image the Earth's surface daily at a resolution of 3-5m. The new spacecraft take the firm's operational fleet now in orbit to more than 200.
The SuperDoves are the size of a shoebox. Many of the other payloads on the Falcon rocket were little bigger than a coffee mug, however; and some were smaller even than a paperback book.
Swarm Technologies is rolling out what it calls the SpaceBees. They're just 10cm by 10cm by 2.5cm. They'll act as telecommunications nodes to connect devices that are attached to all manner of objects on the ground, from migrating animals to shipping containers.
Some of the larger items on the Falcon rocket were suitcase-sized. Among these were several radar satellites. Radar has been one of the major beneficiaries of the revolution in componentry.
Traditionally, radar satellites were big, multi-tonne objects that cost hundreds of millions of dollars to fly, which essentially meant only the military or major space agencies could afford to operate them. But the adoption of new materials and compact "off the shelf" parts have dramatically shrunk the size (to under 100kg) and price (a couple of million dollars) of these spacecraft.
Iceye from Finland, Capella and Umbra from the US, and iQPS of Japan all took the ride to orbit on Sunday. These start-ups are establishing constellations in the sky that will return rapid, repeat imagery of the Earth.....
SpaceX: World record number of satellites launched
A new world record has been set for the number of satellites sent to space on a single rocket.
The 143 payloads, of all shapes and sizes, rode to orbit on a SpaceX Falcon rocket that launched out of Florida. The number beats the previous record of 104 satellites carried aloft by an Indian vehicle in 2017......
SpaceX itself had 10 satellites on the Falcon - the latest additions to its Starlink telecommunications mega-constellation, which is going to deliver broadband internet connections around the globe.
San Francisco's Planet company had the most satellites of all on the flight - 48. These were another batch of its SuperDove models that image the Earth's surface daily at a resolution of 3-5m. The new spacecraft take the firm's operational fleet now in orbit to more than 200.
The SuperDoves are the size of a shoebox. Many of the other payloads on the Falcon rocket were little bigger than a coffee mug, however; and some were smaller even than a paperback book.
Swarm Technologies is rolling out what it calls the SpaceBees. They're just 10cm by 10cm by 2.5cm. They'll act as telecommunications nodes to connect devices that are attached to all manner of objects on the ground, from migrating animals to shipping containers.
Some of the larger items on the Falcon rocket were suitcase-sized. Among these were several radar satellites. Radar has been one of the major beneficiaries of the revolution in componentry.
Traditionally, radar satellites were big, multi-tonne objects that cost hundreds of millions of dollars to fly, which essentially meant only the military or major space agencies could afford to operate them. But the adoption of new materials and compact "off the shelf" parts have dramatically shrunk the size (to under 100kg) and price (a couple of million dollars) of these spacecraft.
Iceye from Finland, Capella and Umbra from the US, and iQPS of Japan all took the ride to orbit on Sunday. These start-ups are establishing constellations in the sky that will return rapid, repeat imagery of the Earth.....
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The Initiative Machines and Astrobotic
Great! Thanks to such projects, it also becomes possible, for example, to send lunar landing modules from private companies. The Initiative Machines and Astrobotic mission is scheduled for October 2021.
Their lander, Nova-Ts, will send radio-controlled moon rovers to the moon. They are also developing open-source software for communicating cameras with computers. The mission aims to popularize space among teenagers. The launch vehicle is SpaceX Falcon 9.
Their lander, Nova-Ts, will send radio-controlled moon rovers to the moon. They are also developing open-source software for communicating cameras with computers. The mission aims to popularize space among teenagers. The launch vehicle is SpaceX Falcon 9.
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https://www.space.com/spacex-starlin...rocket-landing
SpaceX launches 60 Starlink satellites on record-setting used rocket, nails landing
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX launched 60 more Starlink internet satellites to orbit this morning (Feb. 4) on a mission that notched a booster-reusability milestone for the company.
A two-stage Falcon 9 rocket topped with the 60 broadband spacecraft lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 here at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today at 1:19 a.m. EST (0619 GMT). Approximately nine minutes later, the rocket's first stage returned to Earth, landing smoothly on one of SpaceX's drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean.
The massive ship, "Of Course I Still Love You," is one of two SpaceX vessels that catch falling boosters and return them to port.
It was the fifth launch for this Falcon 9 first stage, which last flew just 27 days ago — the quickest turnaround between missions for any SpaceX booster. Today's launch was also the first of two nearly back-to-back Starlink liftoffs; another 60 satellites are scheduled to take flight early Friday morning (Feb. 5) on a different Falcon 9.
Today's launch, dubbed Starlink 18, leapfrogged that coming flight, known as Starlink 17. Starlink 17 was supposed to get off the ground on Monday (Feb. 1) but was delayed due to poor weather in the recovery zone and the need for extra pre-flight checks......
Starlink 17, the other part of the doubleheader, was originally set to blast off Monday (Feb. 1). It was initially pushed 24 hours to allow for improved weather conditions at the recovery zone, then delayed several more times, causing it to switch places with Starlink 18. SpaceX relies heavily on its fleet of reused rockets, so the company wants to make sure that its recovery efforts are successful.
Starlink 17 will mark just the second time that one of the company’s Falcon 9 first stages has flown eight times. The booster, known by the designation B1049, launched a Telstar communications satellite in September 2018, lofted an Iridium NEXT satellite in January 2019, and then flew five different Starlink missions.
GO Ms. Tree and GO Ms. Chief will likely scoop both fairing pieces — SpaceX fairings come back to Earth in two halves — out of the ocean for future reuse. Both fairing halves on this mission have been used before.
SpaceX launches 60 Starlink satellites on record-setting used rocket, nails landing
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX launched 60 more Starlink internet satellites to orbit this morning (Feb. 4) on a mission that notched a booster-reusability milestone for the company.
A two-stage Falcon 9 rocket topped with the 60 broadband spacecraft lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 here at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today at 1:19 a.m. EST (0619 GMT). Approximately nine minutes later, the rocket's first stage returned to Earth, landing smoothly on one of SpaceX's drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean.
The massive ship, "Of Course I Still Love You," is one of two SpaceX vessels that catch falling boosters and return them to port.
It was the fifth launch for this Falcon 9 first stage, which last flew just 27 days ago — the quickest turnaround between missions for any SpaceX booster. Today's launch was also the first of two nearly back-to-back Starlink liftoffs; another 60 satellites are scheduled to take flight early Friday morning (Feb. 5) on a different Falcon 9.
Today's launch, dubbed Starlink 18, leapfrogged that coming flight, known as Starlink 17. Starlink 17 was supposed to get off the ground on Monday (Feb. 1) but was delayed due to poor weather in the recovery zone and the need for extra pre-flight checks......
Starlink 17, the other part of the doubleheader, was originally set to blast off Monday (Feb. 1). It was initially pushed 24 hours to allow for improved weather conditions at the recovery zone, then delayed several more times, causing it to switch places with Starlink 18. SpaceX relies heavily on its fleet of reused rockets, so the company wants to make sure that its recovery efforts are successful.
Starlink 17 will mark just the second time that one of the company’s Falcon 9 first stages has flown eight times. The booster, known by the designation B1049, launched a Telstar communications satellite in September 2018, lofted an Iridium NEXT satellite in January 2019, and then flew five different Starlink missions.
GO Ms. Tree and GO Ms. Chief will likely scoop both fairing pieces — SpaceX fairings come back to Earth in two halves — out of the ocean for future reuse. Both fairing halves on this mission have been used before.
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Thread Starter
https://spaceflightnow.com/2021/02/1...s-within-days/
SpaceX gearing up for two more Starlink missions within days
Days after SpaceX opened preorders for Starlink internet service, two more Falcon 9 rockets are set to launch from Florida’s Space Coast as soon as Sunday night and Tuesday morning — weather permitting — to help push the network closer to commercial operations.
The next two Starlink missions, expected to loft around 60 satellites each, will fly on Falcon 9 rockets from two different launch pads.
Next in line is a Falcon 9 launch from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station scheduled for approximately 11:20 p.m. EST Sunday (0420 GMT Monday).
SpaceX is readying another Falcon 9 for blastoff from pad 39A, a few miles to the north at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, as soon as 1:17 a.m. EST (0617 GMT Tuesday).......
SpaceX has more than 1,000 satellites in its Starlink constellation, well on the way to finish deployment of its initial tranche of 1,584 Starlink stations later this year.
SpaceX won’t stop there, with plans to launch additional orbital “shells” of Starlink satellites into polar orbit to enable global coverage, with a first-generation fleet totaling some 4,400 spacecraft.....
The Federal Communications Commission has authorized SpaceX to eventually operate up to 12,000 Starlink satellites.
SpaceX began accepting preorders from would-be Starlink users this week, charging $99 for a potential customer to get in line for the broadband service. Once confirmed, customers will pay $499 for a Starlink antenna and modem, plus $50 in shipping and handling, SpaceX says. A subscription will run $99 per month.
SpaceX says the service should be available throughout the United States later this year.
Beta testing of the Starlink network has been underway for months in the northern United States, Canada. SpaceX said more than 10,000 users in the United States are abroad are already on the Starlink service, according to a Feb. 3 regularly filing with the FCC.
“Starlink continues to improve as SpaceX deploys additional infrastructure and capability, averaging two Starlink launches per month, to add significant on-orbit capacity alongside activation of additional gateways to improve performance and expand service coverage areas across the country,” SpaceX wrote in the filing.
Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder and CEO, tweeted Tuesday that SpaceX’s Starlink subsidiary will go public once it has a predictable cash flow. “Once we can predict cash flow reasonably well, Starlink will IPO,” Musk tweeted.
Until then, SpaceX will be spending cash at a high rate to maintain the Starlink network’s high-tempo deployment, from satellite launches at an average pace of every couple of weeks to the manufacturing of user ground terminals.
SpaceX has said the entire project could cost more than $10 billion, but Musk has said the revenue opportunities are even higher, providing resources for SpaceX to advance its audacious plans to send people to Mars.
“SpaceX needs to pass through a deep chasm of negative cash flow over the next year or so to make Starlink financially viable,” Musk tweeted. “Every new satellite constellation in history has gone bankrupt. We hope to be the first that does not.”
SpaceX gearing up for two more Starlink missions within days
Days after SpaceX opened preorders for Starlink internet service, two more Falcon 9 rockets are set to launch from Florida’s Space Coast as soon as Sunday night and Tuesday morning — weather permitting — to help push the network closer to commercial operations.
The next two Starlink missions, expected to loft around 60 satellites each, will fly on Falcon 9 rockets from two different launch pads.
Next in line is a Falcon 9 launch from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station scheduled for approximately 11:20 p.m. EST Sunday (0420 GMT Monday).
SpaceX is readying another Falcon 9 for blastoff from pad 39A, a few miles to the north at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, as soon as 1:17 a.m. EST (0617 GMT Tuesday).......
SpaceX has more than 1,000 satellites in its Starlink constellation, well on the way to finish deployment of its initial tranche of 1,584 Starlink stations later this year.
SpaceX won’t stop there, with plans to launch additional orbital “shells” of Starlink satellites into polar orbit to enable global coverage, with a first-generation fleet totaling some 4,400 spacecraft.....
The Federal Communications Commission has authorized SpaceX to eventually operate up to 12,000 Starlink satellites.
SpaceX began accepting preorders from would-be Starlink users this week, charging $99 for a potential customer to get in line for the broadband service. Once confirmed, customers will pay $499 for a Starlink antenna and modem, plus $50 in shipping and handling, SpaceX says. A subscription will run $99 per month.
SpaceX says the service should be available throughout the United States later this year.
Beta testing of the Starlink network has been underway for months in the northern United States, Canada. SpaceX said more than 10,000 users in the United States are abroad are already on the Starlink service, according to a Feb. 3 regularly filing with the FCC.
“Starlink continues to improve as SpaceX deploys additional infrastructure and capability, averaging two Starlink launches per month, to add significant on-orbit capacity alongside activation of additional gateways to improve performance and expand service coverage areas across the country,” SpaceX wrote in the filing.
Elon Musk, SpaceX’s founder and CEO, tweeted Tuesday that SpaceX’s Starlink subsidiary will go public once it has a predictable cash flow. “Once we can predict cash flow reasonably well, Starlink will IPO,” Musk tweeted.
Until then, SpaceX will be spending cash at a high rate to maintain the Starlink network’s high-tempo deployment, from satellite launches at an average pace of every couple of weeks to the manufacturing of user ground terminals.
SpaceX has said the entire project could cost more than $10 billion, but Musk has said the revenue opportunities are even higher, providing resources for SpaceX to advance its audacious plans to send people to Mars.
“SpaceX needs to pass through a deep chasm of negative cash flow over the next year or so to make Starlink financially viable,” Musk tweeted. “Every new satellite constellation in history has gone bankrupt. We hope to be the first that does not.”
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Thread Starter
https://www.businessinsider.com/spac...ed-know-2021-2
Now that Starlink is available to order in more than six countries, here's all you need to know about Elon Musk's satellite internet service
Elon Musk is inching ever closer to fulfiling his dream of creating super-fast internet around the world, which beams down from satellites in orbit to Earth.
In the past two weeks, SpaceX's Starlink internet has reached more than 10,000 users worldwide and started offering $99 preorders of the service to more countries and cities on a global scale......
A subscription to the beta is currently $99 a month. It costs a further $499 for the Starlink kit, which includes a mounting tripod, a WiFi router, and a terminal to connect to the satellites.
On Monday, the company began offering preorders of Starlink to other countries so users can now put down a $100 deposit to get their hands on the service once it becomes available. The deposit will be applied to the amount due on the Starlink kit......
Users the UK are paying £439 for the kit and £89 for the subscription fee....... On Monday, Starlink began opening up preorders to other parts of the world.
People in Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and parts of the US and Canada - where Starlink is not yet up and running - confirmed on Twitter and Reddit they were able to put down a deposit to get the internet service in mid to late 2021.
More countries could green-light Starlink this year, including Spain, Italy, India, Japan and the Caribbean, according to a report from Teslarati.
Insider explained Tuesday how to sign up for the service which works on "first-come, first-served basis."
SpaceX agreed in October to provide internet to a rural school district in Texas next year via Starlink. A total of 45 families will get internet access in the area, followed by an additional 90 families later on. Scott Muri, the district's superintendent, told Insider he agreed to the deal because so many students' families have "zero internet" and no conventional way to get it.
Then in December, SpaceX connected up Pikangikum First Nation, a remote 3,000-person indigenous community in north-western Ontario, to Starlink. Before the internet service, Pikangikum couldn't offer higher education or healthcare, and struggled with high suicide rates. Now, they're able to access everything.
Dave Brown, CEO of FSET, the company that linked up SpaceX and Pikangikum, said in an interview with Insider: "We took a community that was one of the most technologically disadvantaged anywhere in the world. They've now become one of the most technologically advanced, yet are still remote, living where they are and not having to move."
Now that Starlink is available to order in more than six countries, here's all you need to know about Elon Musk's satellite internet service
Elon Musk is inching ever closer to fulfiling his dream of creating super-fast internet around the world, which beams down from satellites in orbit to Earth.
In the past two weeks, SpaceX's Starlink internet has reached more than 10,000 users worldwide and started offering $99 preorders of the service to more countries and cities on a global scale......
A subscription to the beta is currently $99 a month. It costs a further $499 for the Starlink kit, which includes a mounting tripod, a WiFi router, and a terminal to connect to the satellites.
On Monday, the company began offering preorders of Starlink to other countries so users can now put down a $100 deposit to get their hands on the service once it becomes available. The deposit will be applied to the amount due on the Starlink kit......
Users the UK are paying £439 for the kit and £89 for the subscription fee....... On Monday, Starlink began opening up preorders to other parts of the world.
People in Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and parts of the US and Canada - where Starlink is not yet up and running - confirmed on Twitter and Reddit they were able to put down a deposit to get the internet service in mid to late 2021.
More countries could green-light Starlink this year, including Spain, Italy, India, Japan and the Caribbean, according to a report from Teslarati.
Insider explained Tuesday how to sign up for the service which works on "first-come, first-served basis."
SpaceX agreed in October to provide internet to a rural school district in Texas next year via Starlink. A total of 45 families will get internet access in the area, followed by an additional 90 families later on. Scott Muri, the district's superintendent, told Insider he agreed to the deal because so many students' families have "zero internet" and no conventional way to get it.
Then in December, SpaceX connected up Pikangikum First Nation, a remote 3,000-person indigenous community in north-western Ontario, to Starlink. Before the internet service, Pikangikum couldn't offer higher education or healthcare, and struggled with high suicide rates. Now, they're able to access everything.
Dave Brown, CEO of FSET, the company that linked up SpaceX and Pikangikum, said in an interview with Insider: "We took a community that was one of the most technologically disadvantaged anywhere in the world. They've now become one of the most technologically advanced, yet are still remote, living where they are and not having to move."
Well, bad news and good news . The bad news is they didn't manage to stick the last booster landing from the Starlink launch yesterday...but the good news (for me) is I've just pre-ordered my Starlink dish. To have high speed internet (or mostly, any internet at all) is a dream come true.
Just watched it. After the first stage entry burn something is not right. The booster looks like its either 'sliding' from right to left or one of the engines has gimballed way over to the right. Either way, telemetry is lost soon after, either SpaceX cut it off or the booster was out of control. and they lost the signal. The seagulls on the landing pad didn't look too bothered so i don't think the crash into the sea was very close. Shame, that would have been the 25th consecutive landing and the 70th overall.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Thread Starter
Makes me wonder if we need a SpaceX Starlink thread in the Computer/Internet forum....
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-sta...opean-rollout/
SpaceX setting the stage for Starlink’s widespread European debut
Combined with regulatory filings, a series of new job listings suggest that SpaceX is in the late stages of preparations for a widespread Starlink internet rollout across Europe.
Last week, SpaceX began publishing multiple job listings for bilingual “customer support associates” fluent in French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Greek. Meshing well with recent regulatory-side indications of Starlink’s imminent rollout in France, Germany, and Greece, SpaceX also began accepting preorders – with a $99 deposit – in all the above countries (and more) earlier this week. Beta testing has already begun in the United Kingdom, further signaling that Starlink internet could be available across Europe far sooner than later.
While bilingual customer service agents are obviously useful in almost any country in the modern world, SpaceX is only seeking new hires for its “third shift,” either referring to 4pm to 12am or 12am to 8am Pacific at its Hawthorne, California headquarters. Either timeframe would be an excellent fit to ensure customer service availability for prospective European Starlink customers while simultaneously providing coverage for most western hemisphere markets outside of normal work hours.
According to several Greek news outlets, Starlink service could begin arriving in the Mediterranean nation as early as February or March. Preorders made after SpaceX opened availability earlier this month suggest that Starlink terminals will begin shipping in the second half of 2021.
In Germany, Tesla may already be testing Starlink internet to a limited extent at its Gigafactory Berlin construction site, while both German regulators and internet service providers (ISPs) have explicitly expressed interest and a desire for direct collaboration with SpaceX. Perhaps most notably, Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer revealed plans for legislation that could allocate around ~$120 million for vouchers that would cover the (admittedly expensive) ~$500 cost of Starlink user terminals for 200,000+ German households. Scheuer believes that those funds could be in place as early as September 2021.
In France, SpaceX is preparing to install at least two or three of the ground stations antenna sites needed for Starlink satellites to deliver low-latency connectivity throughout the region. Those approved French stations could easily complement coverage – or fully cover – large portions of the UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as the islands of Mallorca and Ibiza. While ground stations in one European country will be able to reach multiple others, SpaceX will have to acquire telecommunication licenses and regulatory approval in each separate country regardless.
SpaceX currently offers a generic service availability target of “mid to late 2021” for prospective Starlink buyers, which seems to mesh well with the state of the company’s progress acquiring regulatory permission in several countries.
https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-sta...opean-rollout/
SpaceX setting the stage for Starlink’s widespread European debut
Combined with regulatory filings, a series of new job listings suggest that SpaceX is in the late stages of preparations for a widespread Starlink internet rollout across Europe.
Last week, SpaceX began publishing multiple job listings for bilingual “customer support associates” fluent in French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Greek. Meshing well with recent regulatory-side indications of Starlink’s imminent rollout in France, Germany, and Greece, SpaceX also began accepting preorders – with a $99 deposit – in all the above countries (and more) earlier this week. Beta testing has already begun in the United Kingdom, further signaling that Starlink internet could be available across Europe far sooner than later.
While bilingual customer service agents are obviously useful in almost any country in the modern world, SpaceX is only seeking new hires for its “third shift,” either referring to 4pm to 12am or 12am to 8am Pacific at its Hawthorne, California headquarters. Either timeframe would be an excellent fit to ensure customer service availability for prospective European Starlink customers while simultaneously providing coverage for most western hemisphere markets outside of normal work hours.
According to several Greek news outlets, Starlink service could begin arriving in the Mediterranean nation as early as February or March. Preorders made after SpaceX opened availability earlier this month suggest that Starlink terminals will begin shipping in the second half of 2021.
In Germany, Tesla may already be testing Starlink internet to a limited extent at its Gigafactory Berlin construction site, while both German regulators and internet service providers (ISPs) have explicitly expressed interest and a desire for direct collaboration with SpaceX. Perhaps most notably, Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer revealed plans for legislation that could allocate around ~$120 million for vouchers that would cover the (admittedly expensive) ~$500 cost of Starlink user terminals for 200,000+ German households. Scheuer believes that those funds could be in place as early as September 2021.
In France, SpaceX is preparing to install at least two or three of the ground stations antenna sites needed for Starlink satellites to deliver low-latency connectivity throughout the region. Those approved French stations could easily complement coverage – or fully cover – large portions of the UK, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, as well as the islands of Mallorca and Ibiza. While ground stations in one European country will be able to reach multiple others, SpaceX will have to acquire telecommunication licenses and regulatory approval in each separate country regardless.
SpaceX currently offers a generic service availability target of “mid to late 2021” for prospective Starlink buyers, which seems to mesh well with the state of the company’s progress acquiring regulatory permission in several countries.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Thread Starter
https://www.space.com/faa-closes-inv...ship-sn9-crash
FAA closes investigation of SpaceX's Starship SN9's test-flight crash
SpaceX's latest Starship prototype is a big step closer to liftoff.
Elon Musk's company is gearing up to launch that vehicle, known as SN10, on a 6-mile-high (10 kilometers) test flight from its South Texas site in the near future.
And such preparations can really ramp up now, because SpaceX and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have just concluded an investigation of the last such flight, a Feb. 2 jaunt that ended with SN10's predecessor, SN9, exploding upon touchdown.
"The FAA closed the investigation of the Feb. 2 SpaceX Starship SN9 prototype mishap today, clearing the way for the SN10 test flight pending FAA approval of license updates," an FAA spokesperson said Friday (Feb. 19) in an emailed statement.
"The FAA provided oversight of the SN9 mishap investigation conducted by SpaceX. The SN9 vehicle failed within the bounds of the FAA safety analysis," the statement continued. "Its unsuccessful landing and explosion did not endanger the public or property. All debris was contained within the designated hazard area. The FAA approved the final mishap report, including the probable causes and corrective actions."
FAA closes investigation of SpaceX's Starship SN9's test-flight crash
SpaceX's latest Starship prototype is a big step closer to liftoff.
Elon Musk's company is gearing up to launch that vehicle, known as SN10, on a 6-mile-high (10 kilometers) test flight from its South Texas site in the near future.
And such preparations can really ramp up now, because SpaceX and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have just concluded an investigation of the last such flight, a Feb. 2 jaunt that ended with SN10's predecessor, SN9, exploding upon touchdown.
"The FAA closed the investigation of the Feb. 2 SpaceX Starship SN9 prototype mishap today, clearing the way for the SN10 test flight pending FAA approval of license updates," an FAA spokesperson said Friday (Feb. 19) in an emailed statement.
"The FAA provided oversight of the SN9 mishap investigation conducted by SpaceX. The SN9 vehicle failed within the bounds of the FAA safety analysis," the statement continued. "Its unsuccessful landing and explosion did not endanger the public or property. All debris was contained within the designated hazard area. The FAA approved the final mishap report, including the probable causes and corrective actions."
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Thread Starter
https://spacenews.com/engine-shutdow...oster-landing/
Engine shutdown led to failed Falcon 9 booster landing
WASHINGTON — A Falcon 9 first stage failed to land after a launch last month because one of its engines shut down during flight after hot gas breached a worn-out cover.
During a NASA press conference March 1 about the upcoming Crew-2 commercial crew flight, Benji Reed, senior director for human spaceflight programs at SpaceX, said that while the booster used on that Feb. 15 launch was making its sixth flight, some components on it were “life leaders” that had flown more often than any other in the Falcon 9 fleet.
That included “boots,” or covers around parts of the Merlin engines in the first stage. “This was the highest count number of flights that this particular boot design had seen,” he said.
However, one of those boots had a “little bit of a hole” that allowed hot gas to get into parts of the engine during flight, he said. “A little bit of hot gas got to where it’s not supposed to be, and it caused that engine to shut down,” he said.
Reed didn’t mention at what point in the launch the engine shut down, but he suggested it took place during ascent. “A great thing about Falcon 9 is that we have engine-out capability,” he said, meaning that one of the first stage’s nine engines can shut down without jeopardizing the mission. “The vehicle got to orbit and put the satellites exactly where they want to be. The primary mission was accomplished.”
The shutdown of the engine, though, kept the first stage from landing. “When that booster came to return home, because of the problem with that particular engine, we didn’t have enough thrust to get back to where we needed to be, and didn’t land where we wanted to be,” he said......
Engine shutdown led to failed Falcon 9 booster landing
WASHINGTON — A Falcon 9 first stage failed to land after a launch last month because one of its engines shut down during flight after hot gas breached a worn-out cover.
During a NASA press conference March 1 about the upcoming Crew-2 commercial crew flight, Benji Reed, senior director for human spaceflight programs at SpaceX, said that while the booster used on that Feb. 15 launch was making its sixth flight, some components on it were “life leaders” that had flown more often than any other in the Falcon 9 fleet.
That included “boots,” or covers around parts of the Merlin engines in the first stage. “This was the highest count number of flights that this particular boot design had seen,” he said.
However, one of those boots had a “little bit of a hole” that allowed hot gas to get into parts of the engine during flight, he said. “A little bit of hot gas got to where it’s not supposed to be, and it caused that engine to shut down,” he said.
Reed didn’t mention at what point in the launch the engine shut down, but he suggested it took place during ascent. “A great thing about Falcon 9 is that we have engine-out capability,” he said, meaning that one of the first stage’s nine engines can shut down without jeopardizing the mission. “The vehicle got to orbit and put the satellites exactly where they want to be. The primary mission was accomplished.”
The shutdown of the engine, though, kept the first stage from landing. “When that booster came to return home, because of the problem with that particular engine, we didn’t have enough thrust to get back to where we needed to be, and didn’t land where we wanted to be,” he said......