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SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink satellites

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11–20 of 136 posts

Re: SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink satellites

#11

This was the fifth time this particular booster launched and landed successfully. Incredible.

Like the Space Shuttle.

No. The shuttle boosters were expended every single launch. The Falcon 9 booster comes back and lands. Ironically, the Falcon 9 second stage is expended every single launch, but that will not be the case with Super Heavy / Starship that is in development.

Re: SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink satellites

#13
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like the Space Shuttle.

Except the entire thing is reusable!

Except the Falcon 9 second stage is not reusable.

Shuttle had an advantage since the orbiter was both first and second stages.

The orange fuel tank was lost on each mission, and the solid rocket boosters were recovered and refurbished after a swim in the ocean.

So by some measures the Shuttle system was very reusable, but the complexities of the system resulted in high costs to tear down, inspect, and refurbish between flights.

Re: SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink satellites

#14

Are these still missing laser comms?

A fairly recent stackechange post on this:

https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/41142/do-the-lates...

(I had no idea what "laser comms" were, unfortunately they're not laser cannons but rather lasers for communications between satellites. Which is still pretty cool)

Re: SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink satellites

#15
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't know the space shuttle reused it's boosters. Apparently the two solid rocket boosters deployed parachutes after separation and were refurbished. Interesting! However the main booster could not be reused...

By "main booster" did you mean the big red thing? That was a fuel storage tank and yes, it was not re-used.

I believe it was actually one of the more strongly limiting factors on the frequency with which space shuttle launches could be conducted because the factory producing them could not turn them out particularly quickly.

Re: SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink satellites

#18
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like the Space Shuttle.

I didn't know the space shuttle reused it's boosters. Apparently the two solid rocket boosters deployed parachutes after separation and were refurbished. Interesting! However the main booster could not be reused...

Unfortunately, refurbishing the solid boosters cost more than replacing them would have.

Re: SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink satellites

#20
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like the Space Shuttle.

I didn't know the space shuttle reused it's boosters. Apparently the two solid rocket boosters deployed parachutes after separation and were refurbished. Interesting! However the main booster could not be reused...

SRB separation happened when the shuttle reached ~3,100 mph. The external tank was jettisoned at ~17,500 mph, more than 5 times the speed (or 25 times the kinetic energy that would need to be dissipated in the atmosphere to recover).
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