Starlink L0.9 satellites orbital evolution

The first launch with Starlink satellites on 2019 May 24 was a test launch.
The satellites were not fully operational without the communication
equipment and only a command receiver. The 60 satellites were released in a
432x442 km orbit at 53 degrees inclination and used their onboard ion
thrusters to raise the orbit to the operational height of 550 km. Between
2019 Jun 15 and Jul 7 most of them had reached the operational orbit with a
perigee of 548 km and an apogee of  551 km.
A few Starlinks got into a slightly higher or a bit more eccentric orbit.

A few Starlinks did not reach the operational orbit at all.
Starlink 29 - 19 029J - had on 2019 Aug 2 a maximum orbit  of 439x448 km.
Starlink 61 - 19 029Q - had on 2019 Jul 3  a maximum orbit  of 533x536 km
Starlink 43 - 19 029Y - had on 2019 Jun 5 a maximum orbit  of 480x484 km
Starlink 60 - 19 029AQ - stayed in its deployment orbit of 433x441 km
Starlink 67 - 19 029AV - stayed in its deployment orbit of 433x442 km
Starlink 80 - 19 029AZ - has on 2019 Jul 6 a maximum orbit of 496x499 km
Starlink 48 - 19 029BG - had on 2019 Jul 6 a maximum orbit  of 506x508 km
Due to atmospheric drag the height of the orbits lowered naturally.

Starlink 46 - 19 029M - lowered its orbit in 2019 Jul to 356x407 km.
Starlink 52 - 19 029AA - lowered its orbit in 2019 Jul to 444x445 km.

Several Starlinks were manoeuvred in their operational orbit to a few km
lower orbit and raised it back a few days later. In this way they could
move to another position in the constellation.


With the planned launch of Starlink L01 on 2019 Nov 11 the Starlinks from
L0.9 in the operational orbit were put in a lower orbit. Starting in early
November most of them reached around 2019 Nov 30 a 528x530 km orbit.
Starlink 22 - 19 029B - reached this orbit 2019 Dec 11; Starlink 55 - 19
029AK on 2019 Dec 29;  Starlink 37 - 19 029S on 2019 Dec 9; Starlink 59 -
19 029AN on 2020 Jan 14;  Starlink 64 - 19 029AS on 2019 Dec 11; Starlink
75 - 19 029BD on 2019 Dec 8; Starlink 74 - 19 029BL on 2019 Dec 12

Starlink 26 -19 029F -, Starlink 55 - 19 029AK -, Starlink 79 - 19 029BF -
did not manoeuvre to this orbit.
In early 2020 Sep  Starlink 26 -19 029F had decayed to an orbit of 425x426
km, Starlink 55 - 19 029AK to 391x392 km.

End of 2020 May to early 2020 Jun the orbits were lowered to 443x445 km.
Most of the manoeuvrable Starlinks, including Starlink 79 - 19 029BF
reached this orbit on 2020 Jun 13.
From there on their orbit decayed naturally.

In 2020 Aug most Starlinks had more than 16 revolutions per day in a
272x275 orbit. They will decay from orbit within several weeks,
Already decayed before 2020 Sep 8: Starlink 22 - 19 029B, Starlink 23 - 19
029C, Starlink 25 - 19 029E, Starlink 28 - 19 029H, Starlink 33 - 19 029N,
Starlink 34 - 19 029P, Starlink 66 - 19 059W, Starlink 58 - 19 029AM,
Starlink 51 - 19 029AP, Starlink 62 - 19 029AR, Starlink 41 - 19 029AU,
Starlink 38 - 19 029AX.

Starlink 46 - 19 029M was 2019 Dec 29 in a  245x300 orbit and decayed 2020
Feb 20.
Starlink 67 - 19 029AV decayed 2020 May 27,

The four fragments are the retention rods that held the Starlink stack
attached to the Falcon 9 2nd stage during launch and were released just
before deployment. They are now in a 5 km lower orbit of  427-433x433-438
km.

Most of the Starlinks from launch 0.9 will have decayed before the end of
2020 September.

See the RAE2019 list on my homepage satlist.nl for more information.

Regards
Leo Barhorst



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