spacetoday.net: SpaceX launches Starlink satellites

Posted: Sat, Feb 26, 2022, 10:49 AM ET (1549 GMT)
SpaceX launched a new batch of Starlink satellites Monday, placing them into a higher orbit after most of the previous set were lost in a solar storm. A Falcon 9 lifted off at 9:44 am EST (1444 GMT) and deployed 46 Starlink satellites into orbit about an hour later. The upper stage performed a second burn to place the satellites into a near-circular orbit at about 330 kilometers, higher than previous launches that released satellites into an orbit with a perigee of 210 kilometers. Thirty-eight of the 49 satellites on the previous Starlink launch early this month reentered when a solar storm increased atmospheric density at that low altitude. The satellites' thrusters could not overcome the additional drag. The booster for this launch completed its 11th mission, the second Falcon 9 booster to reach that reuse milestone.