Upcoming Starlink launches in February 2024
Starlink Group 7-13: February 2, 2024, 7:05 p.m. PST (3:05 UTC on February 3)
Falcon 9 Block 5 | Vandenberg House Power Base, California | DATE/TIME MAY CHANGE
You’ll be able to watch Starlink launches on SpaceX’s X account.
Anticipate extra launches to be introduced for the remainder of the month. Watch this space for updates!
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?
On this case, what you’re seeing is the satellites shifting into the next orbit. And extra particularly, you possibly can examine to see if they’ll go over your space utilizing the Find Starlink website.
Rising numbers amid controversy
In keeping with Wikipedia, as of January 2024, Starlink consists of over 5,250 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit that talk with designated floor transceivers. They supply web entry to greater than two million subscribers.
Love ’em or hate ’em, these 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, 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.
As a result of the satellites are vibrant, astronomers say they’re photobombing astronomical photographs. Subsequently, 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 handle the problem, they continue to be removed from what astronomers say is appropriate.
Backside line: SpaceX presently has one Starlink launch deliberate for the month of February 2024.
Read more: Starlink satellites can look like a plume or train of light
