SpaceX launches 46 more Starlinks, breaks its own previous record

Starlink 'Group 3-02' has entered near-polar orbit

Falcon 9 Rocket took off from Vandenberg (SpaceX)

SpaceX has confirmed the placement of 46 new Starlink internet satellites, completing its 52nd privately funded dedicated broadband launch. The company has launched 2,904 Starlink satellites to date, including decommissioned satellites. A Falcon 9 v1.2 FT BL5 rocket launched the Starlinks (Starlink-52, Group 3-02) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on July 22, 2022 at 5:39 pm UTC (1:39 pm EDT). The payload, forty-six Starlink satellites, were placed in a final orbit of 97.6 degrees of inclination in a south-southwest trajectory with an average altitude of 540 km.

After the separation of the stages, the 'core' of the first stage landed on the drone ferry ASDS "Of Course I Still Love You(OCISLY), stationed in the Pacific Ocean. Falcon 9's first stage (B1071) previously launched three missions: NROL-87, NROL-85 and SARah-1. Debris re-entry from the second stage was planned for the South Pacific.

First stage 'Core' landed on drone ship (OCISLY)

The mission stats:

166th of a Falcon 9 rocket since 2010

174th launch of the Falcon rocket family since 2006

4th launch of Falcon 9 B1071 booster

108th flight of a reused Falcon booster

52nd dedicated launch of Starlink satellites

26th launch of SpaceX from Base Vandenberg Space Force

launch 32nd Falcon 9

launch of 2022 SpaceX's 32nd orbital launch 2022

7th Vandenberg-based orbital launch attempt 2022

Elon Musk's company reports that each Starlink satellite features a compact, flat-panel design that minimizes bulk, allowing a 'dense' launch 'stack' to take full advantage of the Falcon 9's launch capabilities. array” and two satellite dishes on each satellite. “At the end of their life cycle, satellites use their onboard propulsion system to deorbit over a few months.

In the unlikely event that your propulsion system becomes inoperative, satellites will burn up in Earth's atmosphere within 1 to 5 years, significantly less than the hundreds or thousands of years required at higher altitudes. In addition, Starlink components are designed for complete deactivation.”