Author: DougM

Retired USAF LtCol ('70-'92, satellites eng/ops Air/Joint Staffs &c.) — MS, AFIT, Systems Eng / Astronautical Guidance & Control — BSE, UMich, Aerospace Engineering — Diploma, MCCC, Gunsmithing — NC Concealed-Carry Instructor — USCG Master's License, 50T Coastal — Now, just a sarcastic, lazy ol' slacker lookin' out on a NC fairway

Stuff That’s Hard to Do (Falcon9 Starlink)

Sunset Launch
Oooh, preeetyyy (definitely full-screen worthy, definitely)

Interesting things to watch:
• Stage separation, as usual
• Fairing separation, first time looking aft
• Ice particles dynamics as Stg-1 rotates to tail-first
• Stg-1 shadow on thruster plumes
• Stg-1 decelerates as it rises to the top of its trajectory, then accelerates as it falls, then decelerates during entry burn, then accelerates for a few seconds (5600 to 5700 km/hr) until the atmosphere thickens enough for drag to cause deceleration (where it would overheat if not for the entry burn)
• Great vid of landing at sunset (kind’a romantic)

(What? Yes, this will be on the exam)

¡¡ UPDATE !!
Payload deployment (unique view)

MORE:
Starlink launch from Vandenberg sched. Wed afternoon (UPDATED)
Crew launch resched. Wed night
It could happen

¡¡ UPDATE !!
Mission details (new Starlink satellite design, Crew/ISS)