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After the wind spurred the launch of Spacelink Starlink from May 15 to May 16, problems with satellite software forced the company to rake its second attempt, which delayed the launch of about 7 days.
For a mission as ambitious as the launch of the Starlink satellite to 60 SpaceX satellites, the delays due to these satellites should not surprise you. Given the large number of people involved and the fact that it is the first flight material based on SpaceX's radically redesigned Starlink satellite bus, this clean-up is part of the process of developing new spacecraft.
For now, this scrub can actually be considered indefinite. Troubleshooting 60 high-performance satellites – some with possible software or hardware failures – could of course be a very tedious process, especially if these specific spacecraft are closer to a beta test than to an end product real. According to the comments of CEO Elon Musk, it is probably the case. As such, troubleshooting hardware / software errors at the launch site while remaining coupled with Falcon 9 will likely provide an excellent experience for everyone involved.
When it deals with the number of satellites that SpaceX will need to realize its Starlink constellation, the company will need to be able to handle the anomalies that will inevitably follow the preparation and launch of 1,000 or more satellites each year. Starlink v0.9 is simply the first step – even if it is shocking – in that direction.
Far more important and much less guaranteed, the output of Falcon 9 is quite remarkable. Although this is the third time SpaceX has launched a Falcon 9 booster three times, the Falcon 9 B1049 remains ready to launch in the last 60 hours of operation. Time is of the essence and the first group of dozens of advanced and bespoke telecommunication satellites will inevitably get bugs, but the stoic performance of Falcon 9 is a little less secure.
For Starlink to succeed, the launch component of the equation will be just as essential, if not more so, than to ensure that each satellite is perfect before launch, at least within reasonable limits. Failure to properly manage space debris could have major regulatory consequences. However, nothing will kill Starlink faster than unreliable and delayed launches, a seemingly unlikely proposition under SpaceX's current conditions.
As long as the Falcon 9 Block 5 remains as reliable and consistent as it has been shown to date, even fairly serious problems with certain aspects of the Starlink constellation itself should look more like obstacles than upheavals. If all goes well with the aforementioned SpaceX software updates and triple-checks, Starlink v0.9 could be ready for launch around May 22-24. Stay tuned as SpaceX continues to provide updates.
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