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  • you are looking at a live view of the Falcon nine as it awaits its targeted 9:56 a.m. Eastern time launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

  • Good morning, it's November 11th.

  • Here it Space X headquarters in Hawthorne, California My name is Lauren Lions, and I'm an engineer on the Starling team here in Space X in honor of Veterans Day.

  • We would like to take a moment to express their deepest gratitude to all our veterans at space sex and to those across the country who have served.

  • Thank you for all that you've done and all that you continue to do.

  • Every launch is an exciting launch, but today's launch represents some particularly memorable milestones for Space X First, today's launch will be the first time we're re flying a Falcon nine booster for the fourth time.

  • This booster previously flew on a radium seven Sal, come one A and P s and six following today's flight will be attempting to recover it for 1/4 time on our drone ship.

  • Of course, I still love you out in the Atlantic Ocean.

  • Second, this is the first time we'll be flying a recovered.

  • Faring.

  • This faring previously flew on the Falcon Heavy Arabs at Mission earlier this year and last but not least of course, will be launching another 60.

  • StarLink satellites orbit THESIXTY New satellites will make Starling one of, if not the largest star satellite constellation to date.

  • We'll talk more about these new satellites later on in the Webcast.

  • Lots of exciting stuff going on for today's mission.

  • But let's take a closer look at Falcon nine on the pat.

  • Right now we're looking at a live view of Falcon nine are 70 meter to stage, liquid fueled launch vehicle.

  • The bottom 2/3 of the vehicle is the first stage, and this is what accelerates the vehicle through the earth's atmosphere to the edge of space.

  • With the help of nine Merlin engines today, we're gonna be flying this first stage for 1/4 time and also attempting its fourth recovery on our drone ship.

  • Of course, I still love you, which is currently stationed about 340 nautical miles northeast of the Cape off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina.

  • Above the first stage is the second stage, which has a single Merlin vacuum or in back engine and that engine ignites after the first stage separates.

  • The second stage is what will carry the starling satellites to an altitude of 280 kilometres above the earth's surface.

  • And from there, over the course of the next few weeks, the satellites will use their onboard Krypton propulsion system to move up to their operational altitude altitude of 550 kilometers.

  • Now the stack of those 60 starling satellites is safely tucked away inside the 17 foot diameter payload hearing, which is that part of the very top.

  • Once we reach the vacuum of space, we will jettison faring as the second stage continues on its journey to orbit.

  • And as I mentioned earlier, we're flying our very first reuse bearing, which is super cool, because this is the first time anyone that we're aware of has ever attempted to re fly faring.

  • And for those of you who follow us, you know, we've been working towards this milestone for a while, so we're super excited to finally try it now.

  • We're not gonna attempt to catch the bearing.

  • Half today is originally planned because the team had some concerns about stress to the ship's in high seas prior to launch, but we're planning to retreat.

  • 1/2 smoked this mind once they splashed down in the ocean.

  • So again, there's lots of activity today, So let's check in with Jessie for a status update.

  • My name is Jesse Anderson, and I'm a lead manufacturing engineer here at Space six all.

  • It's looking good for an on time launch of states.

  • Exciting StarLink Mission Falcon nine rolled out to the pad with the payload last night and went vertical this morning.

  • The chief engineer held a technical pole at T minus one hour, and the launch director held a propellant load and launch Go no go pole at T minus 38 minutes.

  • Falcon nine has been loading propellants since t minus 35 minutes, and currently our rocket grade kerosene, or what we call our P one, is nearly fully loaded on the first stage, and the second stage is already fully loaded.

  • Liquid oxygen loading is currently underway on both stages.

  • At T minus seven minutes, engine show will begin.

  • This is where we allow a small amount of the super chilled liquid oxygen to flow into the Merlin engine.

  • Turbo pumps prior to the full flow of liquid oxygen into the vehicle to avoid any shocks of the system.

  • Finally, at T minus 4.5 minutes, the transporter Erector will retract away from the rocket slightly, and that'll provide clearance for Falcon nine to lift off of the launch pad.

  • As for the spacecraft, the Starling satellites remain powered down until just after separation from the second stage, which will occur roughly an hour after lift off.

  • If you watched our first satellite launch, then you may recall that the Starling satellites are stacked flat on top of each other and then are released simultaneously during payload deploy, followed by orbit raising prior to orbit.

  • Raise space.

  • Six engineers will conduct it data reviews to ensure the Starling satellites are operating as intended.

  • As we noted prior to the launch, we're keeping an eye on one of the satellites that may not orbit Raise.

  • If for any reason, a satellite is not performing as expected, space sex will de orbit the spacecraft.

  • The components of each satellite are fully demise herbal and are expected to quickly burn up in the earth's atmosphere, a measure that exceeds all current safety standards.

  • Once the health check outs are complete, the satellites will then use their onboard ion thrusters powered by Krypton, to propel themselves to an altitude of 350 kilometers.

  • Now let's take a look at the weather and it looks like we have some great weather this morning over there in Cape Canaveral, there's a very small chance of showers and some clouds with only a 20% chance of launch violation.

  • So we will continue to monitor this all the way down to T minus zero to ensure that the weather remains good for launch.

  • But it's looking great over there.

  • Fear Force range is prepared to support today's mission.

  • Waters are clear of any ships and the range continues to ensure the safety of our launch.

  • We are continuing to count down toe lift up.

  • But if for any reason we do have to call a hold on today's lunch, we have a backup opportunity.

  • Tomorrow, November 12th at 9:34 a.m. Eastern time.

  • But at this time all systems are go for an on time liftoff approximately eight minutes from now.

  • So for those of you who don't already know StarLink space sexist effort to bring high speed, low, latent see broadband Internet to people across the globe, particular t, particularly to areas where connectivity has been unreliable, too expensive or completely unavailable.

  • Most satellite Internet service is today come from geo stationary satellites and those air single satellites that orbit the planet at about 35,000 kilometres.

  • Covering a fixed region above the earth, Starling is a constellation of multiple satellites that orbit the planet at about 550 kilometres and cover the entire globe.

  • And because they're in such a low orbit, the roundtrip data time between the user and the satellite, also known as dual agency, is much faster than with satellites better in geo stationary orbit.

  • Additionally, each satellite reforms autonomous collision avoidance maneuvers throughout its lifetime so that they don't run into each other, run into each other to create space debris.

  • This is the first constellation toe have this advanced capability.

  • In addition, each satellite is fully demise, a meeting at the end of life.

  • The satellite's components are expected to burn up in the earth's atmosphere.

  • Low Earth orbit satellite constellations at this scale are incredibly difficult to build, but the performance of those initial 60 satellites that we launched back in May has been very promising.

  • In fact, just a couple weeks ago, Ellen sent a tweet using the Starling Network for the first time.

  • We still have a ways to go from tweets to four cake at videos, but we are on our way.

  • Our goal is to start offering service in the northern United States and Canada as soon as next year, expanding to a global consolation after an expected 24 launches.

  • Now the team responsible for this enormous task is largely based in Redmond, Washington.

  • The Redmond team, along with their counterparts across the company.

  • There they are, look at our team.

  • The Redmond team, along with their counterparts across the company, have implemented a number of upgrades for today's mission, including doubling the number of steerable phase or a broadband beams, a 400% increase in data throughput per satellite, and the inclusion of a new K a ban and tennis system between the satellite upgrades, the first re flight of of a faring today and this being the 1st 3 flight or sorry, the 1st 4th flight of a Falcon nine.

  • There's a ton of cool stuff happens on today's tension with lift off just a few minutes from now, 4.5 minutes from liftoff, Falcon nine is moving into the final stages of the countdown.

  • The first and second stages are both nearly fully loaded with £1 million of kerosene fuel and liquid oxygen.

  • First stage should finish propellant loading at T minus three minutes and second stage at T minus two minutes at T minus 60 seconds.

  • Be sure to listen into the call out for Falcon nine in start up.

  • This means that the Rockets autonomous internal flight computers have taken over the launch countdown.

  • The Starling payloads continue to be healthy.

  • The Falcon nine team is tracking no issues on the rocket, whether it's still looking amazing and the range is green for launch.

  • So let's go listen into the countdown.

  • They want to close them, stage the locks.

  • Lotus goes down Vehicle on internal power.

  • Welcome, Anderson, start up.

  • L D is go for walks.

  • T minus 30 seconds.

  • T minus 15 seconds.

  • Nine eight, seven five for three, two, one ignition.

  • Lift off with gratitude that friends today and always go USA nine is pitching down drain prompted.

  • Nominal our intel on materials nominal.

  • Yeah, way R T plus 55 seconds into launch, and we've had a on time lift up and a beautiful view of the Falcon nine vehicle making its way to orbit.

  • We are coming up in about 10 seconds here on Max Q.

  • That is the maximum aerodynamic pressure that the vehicle will see during a cent.

  • We should be able to hear that Colin Powell's experiencing maximum aerodynamic pressure, and there's that call up for Max.

  • Q.

  • Coming up next is a rapid succession of events starting off with main engine cut off or what we call mico, followed immediately by stage separation.

  • That's the separation of the first age from the second stage and then seconds after will be the lighting of our second stage engine, which we call second engine startup or S E s one that is coming up here in about 45 seconds.

  • We've got a great view this morning with some pretty clear blue skies, the earth in the background.

  • If you're just now joining us, we are 30 seconds away from main engine cutoff, stayed separation and S E s one.

  • What you see on your screen, you should be able to see the stage is separate.

  • About 10 seconds.

  • Here, let me go.

  • Stage separation confirmed.

  • There's you saw in your left screen.

  • We had Miko and stage separation on your right screen.

  • We should see that second engine startup.

  • And there's that second stage engine glowing bright red.

  • Coming up next in about 30 seconds is faring deployments now a reminder this is this faring is being flown for a second time, which is a first in space X history.

  • Well, you could see on your screen on the left screen Those grid fins have been deployed and there is our fair employment This'd first reflex of our bearings of such an exciting mission this morning.

  • Already, as the second stage continues to orbit with those 60 starling satellites on top, Stage one is making its way home for the fourth time.

  • The stage one is going to execute to burns before hopefully it's standing there on our own ship.

  • The 1st 1 to get the entry burn, which occurs at about T plus six minutes and 23 seconds.

  • So little over two minutes from now.

  • That's where we're going to relight three of those Merlin engines and smooth vehicle down such that it can safely reenter the atmosphere.

  • From there, the booster were coast for just under a minute and 1/2 and then execute what is called the landing burn.

  • That is where we're going to reignite.

  • That's a single engine.

  • Back nine engine, Right in the middle of the booster.

  • Small vehicle, down to zero velocity, hopefully standing right there up on the wrong ship.

  • Meanwhile, stage two continues to fly.

  • Nominally, we're hearing that in Bhakti Power is nominal.

  • Continues at full power stage to pressures.

  • Tank pressures are nominal as well.

  • Person second stage or on a nominal trajectory.

  • Just over a minute away from that entry burn.

  • Fine.

  • We lost a joint.

  • Continues to make its way.

  • That in back engine is powering that second stage and no satellites with £250,000 of thrust.

  • OK, we're coming up in about 20 seconds on that entry burn.

  • You should be able to see that on the left side of your screen.

  • Meanwhile, stage two continues to burn.

  • Teach one of t s a safety stage one entry burn and as you see that entry burn has begun.

  • You should go for another five seconds or so.

  • Did you want entry Burn Shit has just heard we had a successful shutdown of that entry burn.

  • So for about another minute and 1/2 Stage one is going to coast, making its way down to the drone.

  • Ship and stage.

  • Continue to follow a nominal trajectory and in just under a minute that landing burns should start trans sonic.

  • Everything continues to be nominal on stage two.

  • And in just under 10 seconds, that lining burn should start.

  • Hopefully, we'll get some nights on vehicle video, stage one, landing bird.

  • We don't have that video just yet, but that landing burn has started.

  • Second stage is injured.

  • Terminal guidance stage one landing would deploy.

  • Looks like we're not gonna get video on the way down, but we have the ship, and wow Falcon has landed for the four with boosters are designed to be used 10 times.

  • Let's turn it around for 50.

  • Wow, Fourth landing.

  • That is super cool.

  • So Stage two, I believe we have had Seiko one.

  • We're gonna enter coast phase.

  • So before we do that, we're going to take a quick right.