Focusing on Wednesday, December 28 for Falcon 9’s launch of 54 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from SLC-40 in Florida; groups are maintaining a tally of climate circumstances for booster restoration ? https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 28, 2022
Starlink launches in December 2022
Starlink Group 4-37: December 17, 2022, 21:32 UTC (4:32 p.m. EST)
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Kennedy House Middle, Florida | SUCCESS
Starlink Group 5-1: December 28, 2022, 9:40 – 11:32 UTC (4:40 a.m. – 6:32 a.m. EST)
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Cape Canaveral, Florida | GO FOR LAUNCH
Go on to SpaceX’s YouTube channel for a livestream of the launch. Livestreams usually start about 5 minutes earlier than liftoff.
After launch, search for a practice of lights
Following each Starlink launch, the web buzzes with individuals asking:
What’s that lengthy line of lights within the sky that appears like a practice?
What you’re seeing is the Starlink satellites shifting into a better orbit. You’ll be able to verify to see if they may go over your space utilizing the Find Starlink website.
For those who dwell close to the launch websites on the east and west coasts of the US, you may additionally see the rocket ascending into the sky, abandoning a billowing glow. This sight additionally causes individuals to clamor with questions. Within the picture under, you possibly can see what a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch seems to be like.
Rising numbers amid controversy
In accordance with Wikipedia, as of September 2022, Starlink consists of over 3,000 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit that talk with designated floor transceivers. They supply web entry to over 500,000 subscribers as of June 2022.
Love ’em or hate ’em, these Starlink satellites are a part of SpaceX’s imaginative and prescient for a world web communication satellite tv for pc constellation. They ship high-speed web service worldwide, primarily to areas the place ground-based web is unreliable, unavailable, or costly. The personal firm is well-known for launching batches back-to-back, a number of occasions a month, repeatedly lofting 60 satellites at a time. And SpaceX plans to construct as much as maybe as many as 30,000 ultimately.
Most thought it was thrilling to see the primary few Starlink satellites touring collectively within the evening sky. However then extra have been launched, after which extra. And astronomers started to fret.
Learn extra concerning the challenge of satellites and astronomy in our article How satellites harm astronomy: what’s being done.
Backside line: SpaceX has two Starlink launches deliberate for the month of December 2022.
Read more from EarthSky: Starlink satellites can look like a plume or train of light
