The first launch of the year 2022 is still started by SpaceX, which is the third consecutive and fifth time in total that the launcher has made the first preemptive launch, continuing to rapidly deploy its own Starlink Group 4-5 mission to deliver the fifth batch of 49 satellites for the fourth orbital layer.
In the history of global launches in recent years, SpaceX has won a total of 5 world launches in 2022, 2021, 2020, 2018 and 2015. As a benchmark launcher, China Aerospace Science and Technology Group has won three openings in 2019, 2017 and 2016 in recent years.
● Launch process
▲Starlink Group 4-5 launches a full image
Like the previous deployment of starlink missions, this time it is also an instantaneous launch. At 16:49 Eastern Time on January 6 (5:49 Beijing time on January 7, a difference of 13 hours), located at the 39A gold launch site of the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Cabo, Florida, B1062.4 took off as the fourth arrow, the eagle hit the long sky, and began to fly southeast after take-off.
1 minute and 12 seconds after liftoff, the Falcon 9 rocket passed through the maximum resistance point of the air (Max Q). At this time, it flies at an altitude of 12 km and a speed of 0.4 km/s. T+2 minutes and 32 seconds, the first stage rocket 9 Merlin engines shut down. Immediately after the separation of the first and second stages, the first stage rocket began to return to the atmosphere fully automatically. At 2 minutes and 44 seconds after liftoff, the second stage rocket ignited and advanced for the first time, followed by the release of the fairing.
After three return ignition reversals, T+8 minutes and 49 seconds, B1062.4 was successfully recovered for the fourth time, landing vertically on the Lack of Solemnity (ASOG) offshore platform, at this time about 637 kilometers from the Florida 39A launch site.
This successful landing is the 27th consecutive successful recovery of the rocket by SpaceX, the 101st recovery of the first stage rocket in total, the 78th recovery of the sea rocket, and the fifth recovery of ASOG [lack of solemnity].
Launched for 15 minutes and 31 seconds, the stars and arrows separated, and then began to deploy 49 version 1.5 starlink satellites, deploying orbits: perigee altitude of 211 km, apogee altitude of 341 km, equatorial inclination of 53.2 °. Target orbit: 540 km x equatorial inclination 53.2°.
Each version 1.5 Starlink satellite is only the size of a desk and weighs 290 kilograms, which is slightly heavier than the previous version 1.0 260 kilograms. After unfolding the single-wing solar array, the inexpensive krypton ion thruster gradually climbed, and after being tested and checked by the SpaceX satellite operation and maintenance team, it continued to climb slowly to the final orbit of 540 kilometers, a process that took about several weeks.
● Why did the launch of the Starlink from Florida not fly northeast in the past, but to the southeast?
We know that in the past, when launching the Starlink mission from the Florida launch site (whether it is Kennedy Space Center 39A or Kajiao 40), it was all heading northeast, but this launch is unusual, flying southeast.
In fact, previous launches have been guided by the principle of safety: a south-easterly direction must fly around the Bahamas to avoid possible rocket debris falling onto inhabited islands.
The reason why the launch mission was approved by the US government department is that the trust in SpaceX's safe launch is extremely high, and the assessment value is very high, whether it is the probability of successful launch or the success rate of rocket recovery. All SpaceX needed to do was follow safety principles in its route design, first flying over the Atlantic Ocean north of the Abaco Islands, then deflecting slightly to the right to allow the rocket to fly higher and farther.
●How good is the use of a first-stage rocket this time?
The first-stage rocket, numbered B1062.4, has been deployed on GPS III SV04, GPS III SV05, Inspiration4, and Starlink Group 4-5 missions. That is to say, two launches of the third generation of GPS satellites, one carries the world's first national orbital manned spaceflight, and one deploys its own starlink. From November 2020 to January 2022, 4 flights in 15 months.
The specific flight/recovery data are as follows
●What is the current deployment of StarLink?
As of January 7, 2022, Beijing time, SpaceX has launched a total of 1993 SatelliteLink satellites, including the first two Tintin Tintin test satellites, a batch of 0.9 satellites (60 satellites), 28 batches of Version 1.0 satellites (1678 satellites, including 2 batches of 13 polar orbit satellites), and 5 batches of 1.5 satellites (253 satellites). At present, there are 1842 in orbit, 1813 in space operation, 1468 in formal operation, and 180 derailed/re-entered.
The specific launch statistics are listed below▼
What does Starlink Group 4-5 mean?
The launch, code-named Starlink Group 4-5, represents the fourth orbital layer of the first phase of the first phase of the starlink constellation deployed in The Fifth Batch. (However, it should be noted that the Starlink Group 4-2 mission has not been deployed for some reason, so this mission is also the third launch of the fifth orbital layer of StarLink)
According to the star-chain constellation design, the fourth orbital layer consists of 72 orbital planes, each of which includes 22 satellites, a total of 1584 satellites, with an operating altitude of 540 km and an equatorial inclination of 53.2°. A total of 206 have been launched.
The first, second, third, and fourth orbital layers, as well as the deployment of the entire constellation▼
○ The first deployment of the third orbital layer of the starchain (Group 3-1): On January 24, 2021, 10 polar orbiting star chains were launched in the ride-sharing mode. SpaceX has set a new record of the world's launches, accounting for 5% of the total number of satellites currently in orbit!
○ The second batch of deployment of the third orbital layer of the starchain (Group 3-2): On June 30, 2021, the co-ride mode launched three polar orbital star chains, which is also the second batch of deployed starchains of the third orbital layer (Group 3-2), which is scheduled to enter the 97.5° polar orbit, covering the Arctic, Alaska and other places. SpaceX's second carpool launch was carried out with multiple F-15s
○ The first batch of starlink second orbital layer (Group 2-1): September 14, 2021 specially launched 51 starlink satellites with an inclination angle of 70°, which is also the first batch of 1.5 satellites, all equipped with laser links. SpaceX began deploying the second orbital layer of StarChain, what signals were released? Why West Coast Launch?
○ The first deployment of the fourth orbital layer of the Starlink (Group 4-1): On November 13, 2021, 53 Satellites with an inclination of 53.2° were launched. What does it mean that the fourth orbital layer of StarLink begins to be deployed?
○ The second batch of missions to deploy the fourth orbital layer of StarLink (Group 4-2) has not been deployed for some reason.
○ The third batch of deployment of the fourth orbital layer of the Starlink (Group 4-3): On December 3, 2021, 48 Satellites with an inclination of 53.2° were launched.
○ The fourth batch of deployment of the fourth orbital layer of the Starlink (Group 4-4): On December 18, 2021, 52 Satellites with an inclination of 53.2° were launched.
○ The fifth batch of deployment of the fourth orbital layer of the Starlink (Group 4-5): January 7, 2022 specially launched 49 Satellites with an inclination of 53.2° Starlink.
● What are the star constellations to look forward to in 2022?
The Starlink constellation is currently the only rapidly deploying giant constellation that is providing Internet services to 145,000 users in 25 countries around the world.
According to Musk, StarLink will achieve global ocean coverage by the end of 2022, which will allow ocean-going ships, commercial aircraft, and mobile vehicles to access StarLink broadband.
It is expected that in 2022, the speed of Starlink network will increase to more than 300M, the delay will drop to 20 milliseconds, SpaceX will deploy version 2.0 of Starlink satellites on a large scale, open mobile services, and the global users are expected to exceed one million.
● How to see the constellations at a glance?