SpaceX will launch its first orbital mission in 2024. The Starlink 7-9 mission included the first six direct-to-cell satellites. Image: SpaceX
Update 9:31 p.m. EST: SpaceX has adjusted the estimated launch time.
SpaceX is wasting no time in kicking off a historically busy year for orbital launches. The company launched its Falcon 9 work rocket on a Starlink satellite mission on Tuesday evening.
The launch occurred at 7:44 p.m. PST (10:44 p.m. EST, 0344 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Among the 21 Starlink satellites that launched Tuesday evening were the first six to be included directly to the cell Skills.
This launch was originally scheduled for mid-December, but SpaceX encountered unknown problems leading up to the launch and had to abort the mission.
In a statement, SpaceX said the addition of DTC “will enable mobile network operators around the world to provide seamless global access to texting, calling and browsing… on land, in lakes or coastal waters.”
During an August 2022 event with SpaceX founder Elon Musk and T-Mobile CEO and President Mike Sievert, Musk called the new addition “a massive game changer” that would help eliminate dead zones around 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.”
A diagram of the Starlink direct-to-cell service. Graphics: SpaceX
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.
The six @Starlink Satellites on this mission with direct-to-cell capability will improve global connectivity and help eliminate dead zones → https://t.co/FgiJ7LOYdK pic.twitter.com/zFy7SrpsYs
– SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 3, 2024
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.”
The Falcon 9 rocket supporting Tuesday's launch has a first-stage booster with tail number B1082, which will launch for the first time on this mission. About 8.5 minutes after launch, the booster will land on the drone ship: “Of course I still love you.”