Quiet week of Starlink launches set for this week - TWIRL #200

For the 200th edition of This Week in Rocket Launches (TWIRL), we have quite a chill week with just three Falcon 9 launches carrying Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. Also be sure to check out the recap section for the recent launch of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket.

Sunday, 9 February

• Who: SpaceX
• What: Falcon 9
• When: 00:03 UTC
• Where: California, US
• Why: In this mission, SpaceX will use a Falcon 9 rocket to launch Starlink Group 11-10, which consists of 23 satellites. Following the launch, the first stage of the rocket will perform a landing so that the company can get it ready again for launch. The Starlink constellation offers broadband services for people on Earth, even if they're in remote, disconnected areas.

Tuesday, 11 February

• Who: SpaceX
• What: Falcon 9
• When: 17:00 - 21:00 UTC
• Where: Florida, US
• Why: In this mission, SpaceX will use a Falcon 9 to launch Starlink Group 12-18. Unlike the previous mission, this one will include 13 direct-to-cell satellites, which work with compatible devices directly. The first stage of the rocket will perform a landing so that it can be reused. If you want to have a look for these satellites after launch, using the Starlink Group 12-18 identifier with apps like ISS Detector of Heaven's Above.

Friday, 14 February

• Who: SpaceX
• What: Falcon 9
• When: 17:26 - 21:26 UTC
• Where: Florida, US
• Why: In the final mission of the week, SpaceX will launch another Falcon 9 carrying 21 Starlink satellites, including 13 direct-to-cell satellites. This flight is known as Starlink Group 12-8 and will be pretty similar to the other missions in that the first stage will perform a landing after launch.

Recap

• The first launch we got last week was Mitsubishi's H3 rocket carrying the Michibiki 6 satellite. It was placed in a geostationary orbit and will improve navigation services in Japan and the region and will be part of Japan's QZSS constellation.

• Next up, we got a Starlink mission from SpaceX. The company launched a Falcon 9 from Florida carrying Starlink Group 12-3. This batch included 13 direct-to-cell satellites. Following the launch, the first stage of the rocket performed a landing. You can watch this launch over on SpaceX.com.
• The third mission of the week saw Blue Origin launch its New Shepard rocket in mission NS-29. Unlike other New Shepard missions, this one was uncrewed. It flew with several experiments and simulated lunar gravity.

• Next, we got another Falcon 9 launch from SpaceX, but this time, it was carrying the WorldView Legion 5 and 6 satellites for Maxar Technologies. These Earth observation satellites. Following the launch, the first stage did a landing. You can view the launch on SpaceX.com.
• The final launch was of a Soyuz 2.1v carrying a military payload. It's unclear what was flown aboard the mission. It's possible they were Rodnik military communication satellites, but it's not known for sure.

That's all for this week, check back next time!

Cover image background via: NASA, ESA and P. Goudfrooij (Space Telescope Science Institute); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)

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