Update 11:49 a.m. EST (1649 UTC): Updated launch time, added details about viewing the mission.
SpaceX is getting ready to launch its newest batch of Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base late Friday morning. It comes because the U.S. Space Force’s Assured Access to Space (AATS) works to make sure resiliency from one in all two major spaceports that’s seeing way more orbital launches than it has traditionally skilled.
Liftoff of the Falcon 9 rocket on the Starlink 11-2 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) is ready for 11:29 a.m. PST (2:29 p.m. EST, 1929 UTC). This would be the 87th Starlink launch up to now this 12 months.
Spaceflight Now could have reside protection of the mission starting about half-hour previous to liftoff.
The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail quantity B1082 within the SpaceX fleet, will probably be making its ninth journey to area. It beforehand launched USSF-62, OneWeb Launch 20 and 6 earlier Starlink missions.
A bit greater than eight minutes after liftoff, it’s set to the touch down on the SpaceX droneship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You.’ If profitable, this may mark the 113th booster touchdown for OCISLY and the 382nd booster touchdown to this point.
Shoring up launch functionality
The upcoming Falcon 9 launch comes on the heels of the conclusion of the Space Force Association’s second annual Spacepower Conference in Orlando, Florida. The gathering of Guardians, contractors and lecturers coated a variety of subjects from getting ready to fight present and future threats to on-orbit belongings to numerous acquisition methods for desired space-related capabilities.
Among the panels all through the three days was a keynote deal with from Brig. Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen, the Program Executive Officer (PEO) for Assured Access to Space (AATS) for the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC). She additionally serves because the Commander of Space Launch Delta (SLD) 45, the Director of the Eastern Range and the Director of Launch and Range Operations for SSC.
Speaking to the conference on Thursday in her AATS PEO position, Panzenhagen mentioned that up to now this 12 months, the Space Force has supported 136 mission between Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg.
“Just to provide you an concept of the tempo that we’re launching at, with at present being December 12, we’ll in all probability have a minimum of eight extra launches earlier than the tip of this calendar 12 months,” Panzenhagen mentioned. “Now let’s evaluate. Globally, in that very same time interval, calendar 12 months 2024, there’s been about 230 launches. So, the Space Force is offering launch capability at its spaceports for about 60 % of the worldwide missions.
“So, a lot of the launches on the earth are taking place in on the Space Force’s spaceports and about 40 % of the worldwide missions are simply from the Eastern Range, which is wonderful.”
Panzenhagen mentioned that as a part of the group’s “spaceport of the longer term” work, it has about $1.3 billion to make use of from FY2024 via FY2028 to improve launch infrastructure at each the Eastern Range and the Western Range.
She mentioned with a view to help boosting launch capability and rising resilience at their spaceports, AATS is working to “get rid of vital days.”
“For us, ‘vital days’ are days if you’re doing one thing maintenance-wise that places an excessive amount of threat to have the ability to do a launch mission. So, such as you’re digging and will doubtlessly minimize fiber or one thing like that,” Panzenhagen defined. “We’re engaged on eliminating these.”
She mentioned different steps are being taken, like burying energy traces, rising dependable entry to water for issues like deluge methods, increasing roadways to detract from visitors backups associated to transferring launch {hardware} and extra. Panzenhagen mentioned they’ve 192 such infrastructure tasks over these named fiscal years and up to now, they’re on monitor.
Back in view
The Starlink 11-2 mission can also be notable in that it returns to what the general public has grown accustomed to seeing from SpaceX in most different launches: a launch livestream that’s marketed previous to liftoff.
Beginning with the Starlink 9-13 mission on Nov. 24, SpaceX determined to proceed into the launch of its Falcon 9 rockets from Vandenberg with out prior discover on its X account (previously Twitter) or posting a hyperlink to look at the ultimate 5 minutes of the countdown and moving into liftoff.
Instead, it could instantly publish a launch livestream wherever from 44 seconds to greater than a minute following liftoff from SLC-4E. The Starlink 11-2 is the primary West Coast mission since Starlink 9-12 to incorporate a “Watch” button on its launch web page.
SpaceX didn’t present a public motive for the change nor a motive for shifting again to what the general public was accustomed to seeing.
