FALCON 9 ROCKET LAUNCH - Starlink Group 17-38
Video from the channel Space Orbit about Falcon 9, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 52:39. Language: Portuguese. Video type: Livestream.
What's being broadcast
Brazilian channel Space Orbit is livestreaming, with commentary in Portuguese, the launch of a Falcon 9 on the Starlink Group 17-38 mission, carrying 24 constellation satellites to low Earth orbit from California. The broadcast lasts about 52 minutes: the first half hour is a wait before SpaceX's official broadcast begins, which the commentator fills by reading the chat and discussing topics unrelated to the launch, such as the sea recovery of a Starship, kept afloat by buoys, and the Terafab project for a large chip factory in Grimes County, Texas. According to the commentator, this Falcon 9 is approaching its 675th flight.
Key moments
Fog covers the Vandenberg launch area and the first stage camera is overexposed for much of the ascent, so the official broadcast mostly shows telemetry. The commentary follows the sequence: liftoff, passing supersonic speed, Max Q and shutdown of the first stage's kerosene/liquid-oxygen engines at a speed of about 8,020 km/h. Then come stage separation, second-stage ignition and fairing separation. The first stage performs the re-entry burn with three engines and the landing burn with a single Merlin engine. Shortly before touchdown the image clears, having been obscured by ice built up in front of the camera. Meanwhile, the channel plays a guessing game with the chat about the first stage's shutdown speed, and nobody gets it right.
Outcome
The first stage lands on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean, and the second stage shuts down its engine at about 28,500 km/h. The commentator considers the mission accomplished pending the final stages, including a brief second-stage burn. In the closing stretch he shows the streaming setup he is building for his broadcasts, combining several mobile and satellite connections.