A Falcon 9 rocket stands ready to support the Starlink 7-9 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The mission also includes the first six satellites deployed for the company's direct-to-cell service. Image: SpaceX
Update 11:30 p.m. EST: SpaceX has adjusted the mission launch time.
SpaceX aims to recover from a week of botched launches with a Falcon 9 launch from California. The Starlink 7-9 mission will send another 21 satellites into low Earth orbit, something that has almost become routine for the company.
However, this late-night mission on Thursday is unique in that it will include the first six Starlink satellites to have direct-to-cell capabilities. SpaceX explained that the new feature will “enable mobile network operators around the world to provide seamless global access to texting, calling and browsing… on land, lakes or coastal waters.”
Launch of the Falcon 9 rocket supporting the mission is targeted for the end of the launch window at 12:30 a.m. PST (3:30 a.m. EST, 08:30 UTC). Spaceflight Now will broadcast the mission live approximately 30 minutes before launch.
This direct-to-cell promise for the Starlink network is the beginning of a promise announced by SpaceX founder Elon Musk during an August 2022 event with T-Mobile CEO and President Mike Sievert at Starbase in Texas.
Musk described the capability as a “massive game changer” that would eliminate dead zones in even the most remote parts of the world.
“This is really a big deal,” Musk said during the presentation. “Even if an entire region or country were to lose connectivity due to a major hurricane, flood, fire, tornado, or earthquake… even if all cell towers were shut down, your phone would still work.”
According to a November 30, 2023 email to Kathyrn Medley, the acting division chief of the Federal Communications (FCC) Satellite Licensing Division, SpaceX expects to “launch approximately 840 direct-to-cell capable satellites over the next 6 months.” will continue after this period.”
Jameson Dempsey, director of satellite policy at SpaceX and author of the email, wrote that the planned and future launches would “ensure we can launch a critical mass of satellites in time to provide commercial services later in 2024.”
“While we recognize that the Commission may limit our experimental powers to the satellites we expect to launch and test in the next six months, we are requesting that the launch license include authority for all 7,500 satellites in our application Direct-to-cell modification includes,” Dempsey wrote.
Sievert noted during the August 2022 event that the upcoming service in the US would utilize T-Mobile's existing mid-band PCS spectrum.
“This allows us to then collectively dedicate this to the constellation that operates Starlink, so we can see these satellites from every corner of the country,” Sievert said. “When you have a clear view of the sky, our vision is that you are connected.”
“Your phone doesn’t know it’s connecting to space. It looks for its home network and also terrestrial roaming partners,” Sievert added. “And if it doesn't see those things, it will rescan and connect to the authorized connection from the satellite and think it's connected to a cell tower because that phone uses industry standard technology communications protocols and has the spectrum already built in. At least that’s the case with the vast majority of phones in circulation today.”
A diagram of the Starlink direct-to-cell service. Graphics: SpaceX
In addition to T-Mobile as a US service provider, SpaceX says it also has partnerships with companies in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and Switzerland.
The original plan was to launch the service using the Starlink V2 satellites, which may still house the majority of the antennas in orbit. However, due to their size, they would have to start with Starship.
Musk said during last year's event that the antenna would be about five or six meters on one side, or about 25 square meters. He noted that the Starlink V2 Mini satellites would have to act as a stopgap solution in case Starship was “delayed longer than expected,” which turned out to be the case.
The six direct-to-cell satellites will launch alongside the 15 regular Starlink V2 Minis aboard a Falcon 9 rocket with a brand new first stage booster. After stage separation, the launch vehicle will land on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You out in the Pacific Ocean.
Based on the photo released by SpaceX, the payload fairings that house the Starlink satellites are flight-tested, but the company did not say before the launch how many missions they have flown.