Watch live: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 20 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg, California
Summary
TLDRThis video script covers a live broadcast of SpaceX's Starlink 8-2 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, hosted by Robinson Smith with technical operations managed by Stephen Young. The script details the countdown, the launch process, and the Falcon 9 rocket's trajectory and milestones, including propellant loading and booster landings. It also features interactions with the audience through super chats, membership shout-outs, and viewership engagement strategies. Key highlights include the successful deployment of Starlink satellites and a smooth landing of the Falcon 9 booster, marking it as SpaceX’s 48th launch of the year.
Takeaways
- 🚀 The broadcast covers a live SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base for the Starlink 8-2 mission, expected to lift off at 9:30 PM Pacific time.
- 📅 This launch marks SpaceX's 33rd dedicated Starlink mission so far in 2024.
- 🌍 The mission's live commentary is provided by Robinson Smith from NASA Kennedy Space Center, with technical operations handled by Stephen Young.
- 🛰️ The Falcon 9 rocket will carry Starlink satellites into orbit, continuing SpaceX's development of its satellite internet constellation.
- 🔧 Key milestones in the launch include propellant loading, engine chill, and various stages of fueling, leading to the final countdown and launch.
- 📈 The coverage also includes updates on the launch's technical aspects, like the chill down process of the Merlin engines and the strong back retraction on the launch pad.
- 🌐 Viewers are encouraged to support the broadcast by liking and sharing the stream, and joining as channel members for exclusive content and perks.
- 💬 Audience engagement is highlighted through shoutouts, Super Chat features, and welcomes to new channel members during the broadcast.
- 🎥 The broadcast also discusses other upcoming launches and provides a glimpse of payload fairings at Kennedy Space Center, hinting at future missions.
- 🌟 The mission aims to land the first stage booster on the drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You', marking another recovery attempt for SpaceX.
Q & A
What was the purpose of the live coverage mentioned in the transcript?
-The live coverage was focused on the latest mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base involving a Falcon 9 launch of the Starlink 8-2 mission.
Who provided commentary during the live coverage of the Falcon 9 launch?
-Robinson Smith provided commentary during the live coverage of the Falcon 9 launch.
What are some key roles mentioned in the broadcast team for the mission?
-Stephen Young was in charge of technical operations, Adam Bernstein and Michael Kane were launch photographers, and Robinson Smith was the commentator.
How many Starlink missions had SpaceX conducted in 2024 by the time of this launch?
-By the time of this launch, SpaceX had conducted 33 dedicated Starlink missions in 2024.
What were the scheduled launch and landing times mentioned for the Starlink 8-2 mission?
-The planned liftoff time was 9:30 p.m. Pacific Time, 12:30 a.m. Eastern Time, and 04:30 UTC. The exact landing time wasn't specified, but the booster landed around 8 minutes and 18 seconds after launch.
What is the purpose of the Starlink satellites mentioned in the transcript?
-The Starlink satellites are designed to provide broadband internet services around the world, with some equipped with direct-to-cell capability as mentioned in the mission.
What significant milestones are mentioned during the Falcon 9 launch countdown?
-Significant milestones include main engine cutoff (MECO), stage separation, second stage engine start (SES1), and fairing deployment.
How is the booster designated for the Starlink 8-2 mission identified, and what was its flight history before this mission?
-The booster is identified as B1082. Before this mission, it had flown three times: two Starlink missions (7-9 and 7-14) and a national security mission (USSF 62).
What are the unique features of the Starlink V2 mini satellites compared to the previous models?
-Starlink V2 mini satellites use argon Hall thrusters instead of the previously used Krypton Hall thrusters, and they have a solar panel wingspan of about 100 feet.
How does SpaceX handle the landing of the Falcon 9's first stage?
-The first stage of Falcon 9 lands on a drone ship, specifically 'Of Course I Still Love You', marking it the 89th landing on this drone ship.
What are some of the community support activities mentioned in the coverage?
-Community support includes channel memberships, Super Chats, and gifted memberships, with members like fig 816, kisty Elise, and Cindy Marlene mentioned for their support.
Describe the trajectory and objectives of the Falcon 9 rocket post-launch based on the coverage.
-Post-launch, the Falcon 9 rocket follows a southeasterly trajectory along the coast of California and Mexico. Its main objectives include deploying Starlink satellites and landing the first stage booster on a drone ship.
Outlines
🚀 Introduction to SpaceX's Starlink 8-2 Mission Coverage
The video script begins with a welcome address to the audience for the live coverage of SpaceX's Starlink 8-2 mission from Vanderberg Space Force Base. The speaker, Robinson Smith, introduces himself and his co-host, Stephen Young, and mentions the launch time. They discuss the propellant load process and the commitment to the planned launch. The video also acknowledges the channel's supporters, including new members and those who have gifted memberships. It provides information on how viewers can support the channel through likes, sharing, and channel memberships, which offer perks like 4k launch viewing and discounts at the online shop.
📅 Countdown and Fueling Process of the Falcon 9 Rocket
The second paragraph details the countdown and fueling process for the Falcon 9 rocket. It explains the milestones that have passed and what is expected in the fueling process. The countdown begins with the poll for propellant loading, which includes loading rocket-grade kerosene and liquid oxygen. The process also involves chilling down the second stage and loading liquid oxygen. The speaker mentions the timeline for these events, including the main engine cut-off, stage separation, second stage engine start, and fairing deployment.
📹 Observations from Kennedy Space Center and Upcoming Missions
The speaker shares some observations from the Kennedy Space Center, including footage of payload fairings being moved, possibly for an upcoming Starlink mission. The video provides a view of various buildings and the Vehicle Assembly Building. It discusses the status of the C3 PF building, where work on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is taking place, and the Artemis missions. The speaker also talks about the mobile launcher 2, which is under construction and behind schedule.
💬 Viewer Interaction and Starlink G-2 Mission Overview
The script includes interaction with viewers through Super Chat and welcomes new channel members. It provides an overview of the Starlink G-2 mission, discussing the flight pattern and the Falcon 9 rocket's trajectory. The speaker talks about the booster landing on the drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You' and the deployment of the Starlink satellites at a specific altitude and inclination. The script also mentions the direct sell capability of some satellites and provides a visual of a Starlink V2 mini on orbit.
🚀 Booster History and Pre-Launch Countdown
The speaker discusses the history of the Falcon 9 booster, tail number 1082, which is set to launch for the fourth time. The booster's previous missions are detailed, including Starlink missions and a national security mission. The script continues with the pre-launch countdown, highlighting the engine chill down sequence and the live chat interactions with viewers. It emphasizes the importance of viewer support through likes and Super Chats and acknowledges the educational aspect of the live coverage.
🛰️ Launch and Post-Launch Activities of the Falcon 9
The script describes the launch sequence of the Falcon 9 rocket, from ignition and liftoff to the deployment of the Hypersonic grid fins and fairing separation. It provides a play-by-play account of the rocket's progress, including the first stage main engine cut-off, stage separation, second stage engine start, and entry burn. The successful landing of the Falcon 9 booster is confirmed, and the script transitions to the post-launch activities, including the second stage's parking orbit and the planned deorbit burn to prevent space debris.
📊 Mission Stats and Global Launch Industry Overview
The speaker wraps up the coverage with mission statistics, including the number of Falcon 9 launches, booster landings, and orbital launches from various locations. It provides a global perspective on the launch industry, with statistics on launches from the US, China, Russia, Japan, India, and Iran. The script thanks the viewers for their support, encourages subscription and notification activation for future live streams, and teases upcoming video releases and podcast episodes.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Falcon 9
💡Starlink
💡Propellant load
💡Vandenberg Space Force Base
💡Channel membership
💡Payload fairings
💡Liquid oxygen
💡Drone ship
💡Booster
💡Super Chat
Highlights
Live coverage of the latest mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base for a Falcon 9 launch.
Introduction of the broadcasting team and technical operators for the coverage.
Discussion on the photographers taking a break and upcoming Starlink launch from Florida.
Details on the countdown and SpaceX's commitment to the planned launch time for Starlink 8-2 mission.
Explanation of how viewers can support the coverage via likes, shares, and channel memberships.
Introduction of new channel members and acknowledgment of contributors.
Technical details of the Falcon 9 launch process and propellant loading milestones.
Discussion on the sequence of loading rocket propellants and gases, detailing each phase's timing.
Description of the SpaceX booster's previous missions and its reuse for the current launch.
Explanation of the flight trajectory of the Falcon 9 rocket for the Starlink 8-2 mission.
Details on the landing process of the Falcon 9 first stage booster and its significance.
Overview of the satellite deployment process post-launch and its impact on Starlink network expansion.
Introduction of the Starlink V2 mini satellites, their features, and functionalities.
Live reactions and engagement with the audience during the countdown and launch.
Post-launch analysis and viewer interactions highlighting community support and feedback.
Transcripts
for
good evening everyone and Welcome to our
live coverage of the latest Mission from
vanderberg space Forest base it's been a
while since we've been able to say that
it's good to be
back in the Golden State getting ready
for a falcon9 launch
well Robinson Smith I'll be providing
our commentary for the duration of this
coverage we're broadcasting from the
space flight now news Bureau here at
Nasa Kennedy Space Center Stephen young
is running the technical operations of
the
broadcast of course being that this is a
West Coast based Mission our launch
photographers Adam Bernstein and Michael
Kane are off getting some well earned
rest but rest assured they'll be back in
Action before you you know it as we are
tracking a starlink launch from here in
Florida coming up in just a few days but
we'll have more on that just a moment
for now we are T-minus 30 minutes 31
seconds and counting to the launch of
the starlink 8-2 mission we do have word
from SpaceX that propellant load is in
fact underway on tonight's Mission which
means they are committing to the planned
launch attempt of the t0 liftoff time
see that right there on your screen 9
:30 p.m. Pacific 12:30 a.m. eastern
04:30 UTC for our friends joining from
around the
world this will be spacex's 33rd
dedicated starlink Mission so far in
2024 like to help support our coverage
of the Space Program there's a quick and
easy way to do that if you are among the
5700 of you 5800 VI excuse me that are
watching with us live first of all
thanks for being with us on a Thursday
evening although technically now on the
East Coast it is Friday morning just
past
midnight so happy Friday everyone on the
East Coast we have almost made it to the
weekend as I was saying you can help
support this channel it's quick and easy
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thing also we are powered by a wonderful
Channel member Community here on
YouTube so thanks to folks like fig
816 kisty Elise Cindy
Marlene uh gusy Janine
deera uh zepher wolf Stefan
Michael Valerie Korea
and many others for supporting us the
channel membership we're very
appreciative of
that channel membership has a number of
perks including the ability to watch all
of our launches from the cape and the
liftoff of those in 4k hello Lita and to
Crazy ke that opal guy as
well Channel membership also allows
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and access to member only videos here on
YouTube last but not least you can use
the YouTube Super Chat feature if you
have a comment or
question that you'd like to have be a
part of the show or uper consideration
and your comment or question is
appropriate to be on our show we'd love
to bring you into this topic of
discussion either related directly to
the starlink launch tonight if you have
something else on your mind in the space
domain love to talk about it as we step
on through the next oh 27 minutes 35
seconds or
so going back to the memberships uh want
to welcome a few new channel members who
happened to pop in to the community as
we were getting things going so welcome
to Robert Slayton Larry Barker Larry
Baker excuse me and David Mills all
joining at the pad leader level welcome
aort we're glad to have you with
us and also Clayton Clemens joining us
Channel membership with pad leader level
welcome to all four of
you and for the generosity of some of
our channel members kalis Lee gifting 10
space flight now memberships thanks so
much kisty really appreciate that bit of
generosity to kick us off in a good way
psychon not not only gifting a space
flight now membership but also joining
with Channel membership himself at the
pad leader level welcome aboard psycho N
I know we've seen your handle pop up a
number of times in these streams so glad
you're joining the member community that
is great to see and to Oscar the
roselina fan 2022 has been a member for
two months saying thank you for two
months I hope ready rocket launches
you're in Panorama City certainly hope
that the launch goes off tonight as it
was a long night last night hoping and
waiting for what it end up being a scrub
so fingers crossed there in a better
configuration this time
around also want to
welcome Aldo Castleton joining us at pad
leader level of Channel membership and a
thanks to both Wicked code and to
Trinity AKA mam t two of our
pre-existing wonderful channel members
for gifting five space line now channel
memberships a
peace as an independent news
organization we are very appreciative to
our
members helping create new members so
thanks to all of you for that and lastly
for now thanks to ad and welcome aboard
to channel membership joining us at the
P leader
level and with all that for now let's
turn back to the mission at
hand starlink
8-2
Mission we're about 10 minutes into the
process of propellant load for this
Falcon 9 flight from Vanderburg space
Force Base
again SpaceX looking for a t0 liftoff at
9:30 Pacific 12:30 a.m. eastern 0430 UTC
let's go ahead and talk about the
countdown for that mission some of the
Milestones that have passed and what is
still yet to come in this fueling
process the countdown for a falcon 9
begins of course with the poll being
taken to start propo that comes up at
the team minus 38 minute Mark we do know
that of course the go-ahead for fueling
was given which began a little more than
10 minutes ago with a couple of
Events first was uh propellant loading
with both rp1 or rocket gr kerosene on
the first and second stages of the
Falcon 9 rocket at the same time liquid
oxygen is also loaded on board the first
stage at the T minus 30 minute mark it
begin loading cenic helium into the
pressure vessels on the falcon9 first
stage that helies used to pressurize the
main propellant tanks during flight same
process comes up at about the T-minus 26
minute Mark so just about 2 minutes ago
is when that
began T minus 23 minutes the loading of
the second stage kerosene tank
concluded or is about to conclude I
guess we're just a minute away from that
wrapping
up at about tus 20 minutes and 50
seconds strong back chill down process
begins or folks who have been with us
for a cape base launch you'll know that
as the big
vent happens as the feed Lin being
chilled and prior to Second Stage liquid
oxygen loading which Speaking of that
comes up at about T-minus 16 minutes
before
liftoff the T-minus 7 Minute Mark the
chill down of the N9 Marland entrance
gets under way it evolves flowing a
small amount of liquid oxygen through
the plumbing and the Turbo pumps and it
protects the engines from the risk of
thermal shock and damage during the
startup
sequence about 6 minutes prior to
liftoff the first stage kerosene tank
should be full then at tus 4 and a half
minutes we'll see the strong back
retract sequence
begin starts with the clamp arms
underneath the payload fairings opening
up and then the transporter erector with
a strong back will recline about 13
degrees away from the Falcon 9 a little
bit different here in Vandenberg
compared to the cap based launches
3 minutes out the first stage liquid
oxygen load is complete and at T minus 2
minutes second stage locks load has
wrapped up at which point the Falcon 9
rocket is fully fueled with 1 million
pounds of propellant in the final 60
seconds control of the countdown is
handed over from the ground sequencer
the Falcon 's onboard flight computers
the propell tanks are brought up to
flight pressure SpaceX launch director
gives their go for liftoff at 45 seconds
out ENT ignition Comm command is issued
at T minus 3 seconds and if all nine
Merlin engs ignite and are healthy the
flight computer will give the command
for the hold down clamps to release the
Falcon 9 or t0o
liftoff coming
up once again at 9:30 p.m. Pacific 12:30
a.m. eastern 0430 UTC or in 21 minutes
and 50 seconds
well there wasn't a launch today here in
FLA Florida but there was some action
that we spotted over near the Press site
NASA's Kennedy Space
Center take a look at some video that I
was able to capture you see a pair of
payload fairings that were cruised on by
the Vehicle Assembly Building which
will'll come into frame in just a moment
here you can tell these payload fairings
have some age on them so more than
likely flight proven fairings although
SpaceX doesn't publ
the tail number of the fairings or how
many times they've flown so it's a
little hard to track the history of them
we believe these fairings will be used
in an upcoming starlink Mission which is
set for this
weekend this is a good video because it
gives you a set of scale and for had
just a a temporary Focus issue there got
right back to
it can see in the background some of the
buildings of importance here at the uh
Kennedy Space Center those small ones
just to the left of the
VAB it's near the area where they work
on the
X-37B space plane and just behind the
VAB on the left hand side from this
perspective is the C3 PF the build where
they were working on Starliner Boeing's
spacecraft that'll bury astronauts to
the International Space Station Now set
to launch on May
17th and that building now immediately
behind the
fairings is a launch control
center where they have the firing
rooms and you can see actually just in
the back background and I didn't I
didn't even notice this when I was
shooting it this evening but you can see
the crawler transporter
to hanging out in the background
there is getting ready to move the base
of the mobile launcher 2 which will be
used for future Artemis missions
starting with the Artemis
4light now is going to be using a
slightly larger version of the SLS
rocket which instead of the itum
cryogenic propulsion stage or of the
upper part of the rocket that will be
retired and instead they'll use What's
called the exploration upper
stage and so because the rocket is
taller they need a taller mobile
launcher and that is currently in the
works by a company called Beal
unfortunately the mobile launcher 2 is
years behind schedule and quite notably
over budget
but they seem to have gotten their
finances in order and have gotten the
schedule in a little bit of a better
place so the work has been progressing
fairly steadily
now just to the right of this fr frame
is the pad where actually mobile
launcher 1 is sitting at right now
that's pad 39b where the space launch
system rocket
launches previously of course the space
shuttle we're now tmin 17 minutes 20
seconds and counting just a little over
a minute away from the start of second
stage liquid oxygen load on the Falcon
and
rocket e
we're now tus 15 minutes 57 seconds of
counting taking a look back at the live
chat for a moment here want to thank uh
Nick trins for our $10 Super Chat thank
you so much Nick really appreciate that
giving a shout out to Nikki Gracie and
Dad down in Santa Pao
California hope the family is doing well
want to welcome both Dave rich and media
Zoo for joining at the mission
specialist and launch director levels
respectively Channel membership really
appreciate that from the both of you and
welcome aboard we're glad to have you
with us and a thanks to uh k h another
one of our wonderful channel members
gifting $20 Super Chat really appreciate
that KH who I think was a gifted Channel
membership just this evening if I'm not
mistaken KH says thank you to this
community so
kind we've talked about the timeline of
events for the fueling process of the
Falcon 9 let's go ahead now and pivot to
the flight of this vehicle and where it
will be going once it leaves the
LaunchPad
Starling g-2 Mission similar flight
pattern to
the missions heading to the seventh
shell of the starlink constellation
after lifting off from slick 4E or space
launch complex 4 East and federber space
Force Base the Falcon 9 rocket will fly
in a southeasterly trajectory along
coast of California and Mexico
following stage separation first stage
booster is going to land on the only
drone ship that is out there on the west
coast that is of course I still love
you if successful this Mission will Mark
the 89th Landing of a booster on this
particular drone ship as well as the
306th Falcon booster Landing to date
on board this Falcon 9 rocket of course
batch of starlink
satellites taking a look at what those
starlinks look like in launch
configuration there are 20 of them on
board this particular Mission each of
them clocking in at about
1,760 lb or about 800 kilog with their
solar panels infilled they have a
wingspan of about 100 ft or 30 m they
use argon Hall thrusters for inorbit
Maneuvers as opposed to the previously
used Krypton Hall thrusters they were
built in Redmond Washington which is
near Seattle and they'll be deployed at
about 180 Mi or 290 kg in altitude at a
53 Dee
inclination if you haven't already had a
chance to pop over to our website
spaceflightnow.com and read the preview
article on this launch we'll note that
there are only 20 starlinks in total on
this flight however 13 of those have the
direct sell capability something that
SpaceX has been rolling out over the
course of this year a little by little
until this will bring the total number
of announced direct to cell starlinks up
to
25 so far
well we don't have a great uh image from
SpaceX of what the starlink V2 minis
look like and they're on orbit
configuration we do have this image from
hoo robotics to give you an idea of what
a starlink V2 mini looks like on orbit
you see the solar panels stretching out
to either side of the satellite main
body
this photo was captured last
year claiming to be the first direct
observation of a starling V2 mini on
orbit at T minus 11 minutes 28 seconds
in
counting as was the case with our most
recent launch from the
cape this is a fair fairly young booster
as compared to some of
the quotequote oldtimers for the SpaceX
Fleet this booster only launching for
the fourth time on this flight let's go
ahead and take a moment talk about the
history of this particular booster till
number 1082 in the SpaceX Fleet it's