Spaceflight.com by Tobias Corbett September 13, 2021
On the evening of September 13, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying a total of 51 second-generation Starlink satellites into orbit. This will be the first launch in support of deploying the second shell of Starlink satellites.
The Falcon 9 is set to lift off from Vandenberg’s Space Launch Complex 4-East (SLC-4E) at 8:55 PM Pacific time (03:55 UTC on September 14), with backup opportunities available on September 15 and 16.
The Second Starlink Shell
Monday’s launch, designated Starlink Group 2-1, is set to begin the second main stage of deploying the Starlink satellite internet constellation. SpaceX has so far launched 1740 Starlink spacecraft over the course of over 30 missions, all of which have been either development spacecraft or satellites for the first “shell” of the constellation.
Previous Starlink flights have seen the vast majority of satellites deployed at an orbital inclination of 53 degrees, constituting the first shell of the Starlink constellation. These spacecraft provide coverage between Earth’s 55th parallels.
In order to build the second shell, SpaceX will start deploying satellites at an approximately 70-degree inclination, which will allow for Starlink coverage in northern parts of the Americas such as Canada’s territories or Alaska, as well as Northern Europe and Southern parts of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Alongside the first and second shells, SpaceX has deployed a small number of Starlink spacecraft at 97.5 degrees, utilizing spare spots on Falcon 9 smallsat rideshare missions, which will allow Starlink to begin providing coverage for polar regions.
More:
https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/09/spacex-begin-second-starlink-shell/
