Starlink launches in Could 2023
Starlink Group 5-6: Could 4, 2023, 7:31 UTC (3:31 a.m. EDT)
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Cape Canaveral, Florida | GO FOR LAUNCH
Starlink Group 2-9: Could 7, 2023, TIME TBA
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Vandenberg SFB, California
Starlink Group 5-9: Could 9, 2023, 5:08-11:49 UTC (1:08-7:49 a.m. EDT)
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Cape Canaveral, Florida | DATE/ TIME MAY CHANGE
Starlink Group 5-7: DATE/ TIME TBA
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Vandenberg SFB, California
Starlink Group 6-4: DATE/ TIME TBA
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Cape Canaveral, Florida
Starlink Group 6-3: DATE/ TIME TBA
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Cape Canaveral, Florida
Starlink Group 5-11: DATE/ TIME TBA
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Cape Canaveral, Florida
Starlink Group 2-10: DATE/ TIME TBA
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Vandenberg SFB, California
You possibly can watch above or go on to SpaceX’s YouTube channel for a livestream of the launch. Livestreams sometimes start about 5 minutes earlier than liftoff.
After launch, search for a prepare of lights
Following each Starlink launch, the web buzzes with folks asking:
What’s that lengthy line of lights within the sky that appears like a prepare?
What you’re seeing is the Starlink satellites transferring into a better orbit. You possibly can verify to see if they’ll go over your space utilizing the Find Starlink website.
Rising numbers amid controversy
In keeping with Wikipedia, as of February 2023, Starlink consists of over 3,580 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit that talk with designated floor transceivers. They supply web entry to a couple of million subscribers.
Love ’em or hate ’em, these Starlink satellites are a part of SpaceX’s imaginative and prescient for a world web communication satellite 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, often 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 had been launched, after which extra. And astronomers started to fret.
As a result of Starlinks are vibrant, astronomers say they’re photobombing astronomical pictures. Due to this fact, they’ve the potential to intrude with the skilled astronomical observations which have introduced us our modern-day view of the cosmos. And though SpaceX has tried to deal with the problem, they continue to be removed from what astronomers say is suitable.
Backside line: SpaceX’s first Starlink launch for the month is at present scheduled from Florida at 7:31 UTC on Could 4, 2023.
Read more from EarthSky: Starlink satellites can look like a plume or train of light
