SpaceX plans to launch 21 Starlink satellites into Generation 2 Group 7 on 2023-08-22 at 06:04 UTC with four additional launch opportunities between 06:54 and 09:26 UTC (How do they do this?) and four additional backup opportunities between 05:42 and 09:05 UTC on 2023-08-23. This will be the first launch to Group 7, at 53° inclination and 525 km altitude; this group is planned to be filled with 3360 satellites in 28 orbital planes. The launch will be from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The first stage booster, B1061, will be making its fifteenth flight, after a turnaround time of 83 days since its last mission.
Here is a pre-flight preview from Everyday Astronaut.
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After slipping successively through the launch opportunities on 2023-08-17, SpaceX has postponed the launch to 2023-08-18 with two opportunities starting at 07:30 UTC and two more the next day. I have updated the main post accordingly.
Meanwhile, SpaceX is on course to launch 80% of all mass from Earth to orbit and beyond in 2023, with China at 10% and all others combined at 10%.
For the Bryce Tech “Global Orbital Space Launches Q2 2023” [PDF] report, go to the Bryce Briefing page and click the “Q2 2023” button.
In the second quarter of 2023, SpaceX launched 648 satellites with total mass 214 tonnes. Of all 797 satellites launched, smallsats (< 600 kg) accounted for 97% of spacecraft launched and 62% of upmass.
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Due to the approach of hurricane Hilary to the launch site in California, SpaceX has postponed the launch of Starlink Group 7-1 to no earlier than 2023-08-21. Launch opportunity times will be announced when a definitive launch date is set.
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SpaceX have posted launch opportunities for 2023-08-22 and 2023-08-23. I have updated the main post to include them.
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