Starlink Block v1.5

Starlink Block v0.9 [SpaceX]
Starlink Block v1.5 similar

Starlink is SpaceX's 12.000-satellite low earth orbit constellation to provide global broadband Internet access.

The mass-produced spacecraft carry a communications payload using the Ku and Ka frequency bands. The satellites will employ optical inter-satellite links and phased array beam forming and digital processing technologies.

The Starlink satellites feature a flat panel design with a single solar panel and have a mass of about 260 kg. The satellites are stacked for launch without the need for an dispenser. As a propulsion system for orbit adjustion and maintenance as well as deorbiting, they use krypton-fueled Hall thrusters. The Startracker navigation system is based on the heritage of Dragon. The satellites are designed autonomously avoid collisions based on uplinked tracking data. At the end of life, the Starlink satellites are to be actively deorbited, leading to reentry. 95% of the material is expected to burn up.

The first 1584 Starlink satellites are to operate from a 550 km orbit in planes inclined 53° to the equator. Later sub-constellations are planned for 1200 km and very low 340 km orbital altitude, bringing the final constellation size to nearly 12000 satellites. In early 2020, SpaceX requested to change the 1200 km constellation also to operate from the 550 km orbits.

The initial 60 satellites, called Block v0.9, are prototypes lacking the Ka-band payloads and inter-satellite links.

For launch, up to 60 satellites are stacked on top of each other without the need of a massive deployer. 60 satellite is the maximum possible to fit inside the Falcon-9 v1.2 (Block 5), although a future enlarged fairing will allow launches of more than 60 satellites per mission. Later satellites are also to be launched by the Super Heavy Starship reusable launch vehicle.

In September 2021, the first batch of 51 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites featuring laser intersatellite links was launched. These satellites no longer have visors, but have improved coatings, as the visors reportedly interferred with the laser communication teminals.

There are several groups of sub constellations:

• Group 1 is 53.0° at an altitude of 550 km in 72 orbital planes of each 22 satellites. (Total 1584 satellites)
• Group 2 is 70.0° at an altitude of 570 km in 36 orbital planes of each 20 satellites. (Total 720 satellites)
• Group 3 is 97.6° at an altitude of 560 km in 10 orbital planes of each 43 or 58 satellites. (Total 508 satellites)
• Group 4 is 53.2° at an altitude of 540 km in 72 orbital planes of each 22 satellites. (Total 1584 satellites)
• Group 5 is 43.0° at an altitude of 530 km. These satellites are likely identical to the other v1.5 satellite. This group belongs to the 2nd generation of the Starlink system

• The 1st rideshare launch (Starlink 3003-3005), using available space on a multi-satellite mission, in June 2021 consisted of 3 prototype Starlink v1.5 satellites in a 97.5° orbit.
• The 1st launch (Group 2-1) of 51 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place in September 2021 from Vandenberg. They went to a 70° inclination orbit.
• The 2nd launch (Group 4-1) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place in November 2021 from Cape Canaveral. This launch went to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 3nd launch (Group 4-3) of 48 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place in December 2021 from Cape Canaveral and reached a 53.2° orbit. This flight carried also two BlackSky satellites.
• The 4th launch (Group 4-4) of 51 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place in December 2021 from Vandenberg, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 5th launch (Group 4-5) of 49 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place in January 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit. The number of satellites was reduce to allow a launch in south eastern direction, which allows for better rocket stage recover yonditions in winter.
• The 6th launch (Group 4-6) of 49 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place in January 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 7th launch (Group 4-7) of 49 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place in February 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit. The satellites were severely impended by a geomagnetic storm causing largely increased atmospheric drag while in low parking orbit. The majority (~40)--> of the satellites were lost.
• The 8th launch (Group 4-8) of 46 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place in February 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit. The number of satellites was reduced to allow for a higher initial orbit to prevent another debacle like on the Group-4-7 launch.
• The 9th launch (Group 4-11) of 50 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 25 February 2022 from Vandenberg, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 10th launch (Group 4-9) of 47 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 3 March 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 11th launch (Group 4-10) of 48 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 9 March 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 12th launch (Group 4-12) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 19 March 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 13th launch (Group 4-14) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 21 April 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 14th launch (Group 4-16) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 29 April 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 15th launch (Group 4-17) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 6 May 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 16th launch (Group 4-13) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 13 May 2022 from Vandenberg, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 17th launch (Group 4-15) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 14 May 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 18th launch (Group 4-18) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 18 May 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 19th launch (Group 4-19) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 17 June 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 20th launch (Group 4-21) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 7 July 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 21th launch (Group 3-1) of 46 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 11 July 2022 from Vandenberg, going to a 97.6° orbit.
• The 22th launch (Group 4-22) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 17 July 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 23th launch (Group 3-2) of 46 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 22 July 2022 from Vandenberg, going to a 97.6° orbit.
• The 24th launch (Group 4-25) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 24 July 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 25th launch (Group 4-26) of 52 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 10 August 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 26th launch (Group 3-3) of 46 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 12 August 2022 from Vandenberg, going to a 97.6° orbit.
• The 27th launch (Group 4-27) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 19 August 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 28th launch (Group 4-23) of 54 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 23 August 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 29th launch (Group 3-4) of 46 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 31 August 2022 from Vandenberg, going to a 97.6° orbit.
• The 30th launch (Group 4-20) of 51 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 5 September 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit. This flight carried also the Sherpa-LTC 2 (Varuna-TDM) satellite.
• The 31th launch (Group 4-2) of 34 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 11 September 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit. This flight carried also the BlueWalker 3 satellite.
• The 32th launch (Group 4-34) of 54 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 19 September 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 33th launch (Group 4-35) of 52 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 24 September 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 34th launch (Group 4-29) of 52 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 05 October 2022 from Vandenberg, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 35th launch (Group 4-36) of 54 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 20 October 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 36th launch (Group 4-31) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 28 October 2022 from Vandenberg, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 37th launch (Group 4-37) of 54 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 17 December 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 53.2° orbit.
• The 38th launch (Group 5-1) of 54 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 28 December 2022 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 43° orbit.
• The 39th launch (Group 2-4) of 51 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 19 January 2023 from Vandenberg, going to a 70° orbit.
• The 40th launch (Group 5-2) of 56 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 26 January 2023 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 43° orbit.
• The 41th launch (Group 2-6) of 49 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 31 January 2023 from Vandenberg, going to a 70° orbit. This flight carried also the ION-SCV 009 satellite.
• The 42th launch (Group 5-3) of 53 Starlink Block v1.5 satellites took place on 02 January 2023 from Cape Canaveral, going to a 43° orbit.

Note: The satellites are designated with individual non-consecutive numbers. Due to this and the large number of satellite, on this website the satellites will be designated by a prefix flight number and a number in catalog order to keep the lists manageable. Individual proper names are given in parentheses.