SpaceX launched its newest batch of Starlink satellites for its web megaconstellation shortly after midnight on Tuesday. Nonetheless, there could have been further satellites onboard as properly.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Advanced 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Area Middle at 12:24 a.m. EST (0524 UTC) to start the Starlink 13-1 mission.
Peculiarly, the SpaceX webcast didn’t start on time and picked up a pair minutes into the flight. When it did get underway, it lacked the traditional telemetry knowledge and didn’t present any views of the Falcon 9 higher stage because it usually does throughout a Starlink mission.
The Falcon 9 first stage booster, tail quantity B1083, was used to launch the mission. It’s earlier missions included the launches of Crew-8, Polaris Daybreak and CRS-31.
After launching for an eighth time, B1083 landed on the SpaceX droneship, ‘A Shortfall of Gravias,’ which was positioned out within the Atlantic Ocean. This marked the 95 touchdown for ASOG and the 399th booster touchdown up to now.
The Starlink 13-1 mission can be SpaceX’s fifth devoted Starlink launch of the 12 months and its ninth orbital launch in 2025. The flight included 21 Starlink satellites onboard.
Notably, most up-to-date flights for the Starlink constellation which have simply 21 satellites on board additionally embrace 13 which have Direct to Cell capabilities, however none of these have been talked about by SpaceX within the lead as much as launch.
When DTC Starlink satellites are absent, SpaceX has been launching batches of 24 Starlink satellites from Florida. At present, it’s poised to launch a batch of 27 satellites from Vandenberg Area Pressure Base no sooner than late Tuesday morning on the Starlink 11-8 mission. That is more likely to be the primary time SpaceX launches its so-called Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites, that are significantly lighter than their predecessors.
Given that there have been solely 21 Starlink satellites listed on the Starlink 13-1 mission with no DTCs to talk of, which will recommend that different satellites, maybe Starshield, have been additionally flying on board. Starshield are the federal government variant of Starlink and have most not too long ago been flown on behalf of the Nationwide Reconnaissance Workplace.
Neither the NRO nor SpaceX has made any remark confirming that Starshield satellites have been scheduled to launch as a part of the Starlink 13-1 mission, but when it does bear out, it wouldn’t be the primary combo mission. The NROL-126 mission, which launched on Nov. 30, 2024, included 20 Starlink satellites and an undisclosed variety of Starshield satellites.
