California weather has not cooperated recently. Third time’s the charm?
Starlink Group 7-13 launch out of SLC-4E in California currently scheduled for 2024-02-09 00:55 UTC, or 2024-02-08 16:55 local time (PST). Booster 1074-14 to land on Of Course I Still Love You.
Edit: T-0 pushed to 2024-02-09 01:09 UTC, or 2024-02-08 17:09 local time (PST)
Webcasts:
- Spaceflight Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2Q6fo-OhSI
- NASASpaceflight:
- The Launch Pad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtI3h79wMTw
- Space Affairs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ILXrr-TtnA
- SpaceX: https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1755759459765567825#m
- The Space Devs:
And… abort at T-41 seconds. Scrubbed due to cloud cover. Vehicle and payload are healthy, offloading propellant.
Weather still not great, but they are giving it a go:
https://nitter.freedit.eu/SpaceX/status/1755749013666865420#m
All systems are looking good and weather is 20% favorable for today’s launch of 22 @Starlink satellites from California → spacex.com/launches
Feb 9, 2024 · 12:22 AM UTC
https://nitter.freedit.eu/SpaceX/status/1755752291578302545#m
Propellant load has begun for Falcon 9’s launch of @Starlink satellites
Feb 9, 2024 · 12:35 AM UTC
With just the cost of the satellites that are currently in LEO Elon could have paid for 17,000 miles of fibre optic cables instead.
17,000 miles of fibre optic cables instead
Would that be enough to connect all their current customers? Most of their user base is scattered in remote locations, not in major cities.
Nope, but if Star link went under today in 18 months there will be no satellites and all that effort will have gone to nothing. Where as fibre lines are buried and have a near 0 chance of failing… And satellites in LEO only last 2-18 months.
It’s the dumbest idea since the
deathtrap tunnelhyperloop