Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Starlink Broadband Constellation Begins with 1st Blast Off on SpaceX Falcon 9: Photo/Video Gallery


9 Merlin 1D engines and 1 Gripper arm + Fire & Ice - Up Close look at SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 1 launch on 23 May 2019 at 1030 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL that successfully delivered 1st 60 Starlink broadband satellites to LEO. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
Ken Kremer -- SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM – 26 May 2019

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL –  SpaceX’s highly anticipated Starlink broadband constellation has begun with the 1st blastoff of the inaugural batch of 60 satellites on the firms Falcon 9  rocket on what turned out to be the third try on Thursday evening May 23 as the recycled Falcon 9 rocket soared to space. 

In the not to distant future the Starlink constellation will grow to many thousands of next generation satellites that could very will revolutionize the way the world accesses and uses the internet in the next few years by slashing prices and broadening coverage to hard to reach places across the globe.

At least that’s the hope and dream put forth by SpaceX CEO and billionaire founder Elon Musk for his planned network of Low Earth orbiting (LEO) Starlink satellites aiming  to provide global high speed broadband internet services to customers worldwide.

Up to 6 more Starlink launches could take place this year, Musk tweeted post launch.

Enjoy our Space UpClose gallery of photo and video imagery from the launch and prelaunch activities.

Check back as the gallery grows.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasts off with 1st batch of 60 SpaceX manufactured Starlink broadband satellites at 10:30 p.m. ET on May 23, 2019 from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL on Starlink-1 mission.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
Starlink 1 comsat launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 on 23 May 2019 from Cape Canaveral, FL.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
Developing and building the first 60 Starlink satellites “is one of the hardest engineering projects I’ve ever seen done [and SpaceX has ever undertaken],” Musk said as he outlined his first detailed vision of the firms Starlink broadband constellation in a prelaunch media conference call on May 15 - just hours prior to the original target launch date that eventually was scrubbed minutes before liftoff due to powerful upper altitude winds.

“The goal of the Starlink system is to provide high bandwidth, low latency connectivity, ideally throughout the world  that will offer an alternative to expensive services and also provide internet options to places where no connectivity is currently available.” 
9 Merlin 1D engines and 1 Gripper arm + Fire & Ice - Up Close look at SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 1 launch on 23 May 2019 at 1030 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL that successfully delivered 1st 60 Starlink broadband satellites to LEO. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
Liftoff of the Starlink 1 mission finally took place at 10:30 p.m. EDT Thursday, May 23 (0230 GMT Friday) from Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40) on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL.

The nighttime skies were mostly clear and offered a stunning spectacle for spectators as Falcon thundered off the launch pad and the engines roar crackled as loud as we’ve ever heard. 
SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket streaks to orbit with 1st batch of 60 SpaceX manufactured Starlink broadband satellites in this long exposure image after liftoff at 10:30 p.m. ET on May 23, 2019 from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL on Starlink-1 mission.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

Starlink 1 high speed internet comsat launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 on 23 May 2019 from Cape Canaveral, FL.  Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
The 229-foot-tall (70-meter) Falcon 9 ignited at 10;30 p.m. EDT right at the opening of the 90 minute long launch window with 1.7 million pounds of liftoff thrust spewing from the 9 Merlin 1D first stage engines fueled by liquid oxygen and RP-1 propellants.

Watch my launch video here:

Video Caption: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying maiden set of 60 SpaceX built Starlink high speed broadband satellites lifts off at 10:30 p.m. ET on May 23, 2019 from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL on Starlink-1 mission - as seen in this video camera stationed at pad. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com

The Starlink 1 launch was scrubbed twice last week – first for excessive and powerful upper levels winds which could destroy the rocket on ascent through the atmosphere on the originally targeted date of May 15. And second to fix a pesky software issue that was only discovered several hours prior to the second attempt on May 16








The Starlink satellite deployments took place as planned approximately an hour after blastoff

“Starlink will connect the globe with reliable and affordable high-speed broadband services,” says SpaceX. 






The jettisoned payload fairings were both recovered after parachute assisted splashdown, hauled out of the Atlantic Ocean and sailed into Port Canaveral, Sunday, May 26. See our story/photos
1st recovered SpaceX payload fairing from Falcon 9 launch of 1st Starlink satellites on May 23, 2019 sails back into Port Canaveral, FL on May 26 on the deck of the GO NAVIGATOR vessel after crews hoisted it on board after ocean splashdown. Credit: Ken Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com



Watch my SpaceX launch commentary and rocket photos at this Fox 35 Orlando report from May 16 launch attempt:

http://www.fox35orlando.com/home/spacex-trying-again-for-launch-of-falcon-9-rocket
Dr. Ken Kremer/Space UpClose commentary about SpaceX Starlink-1 launch with Fox 35 WOFL Orlando TV News
Watch for Ken’s continuing onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.

Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com

Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.


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Ken’s photos are for sale and he is available for lectures and outreach events



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