{"id":10216,"date":"2024-01-02T21:17:19","date_gmt":"2024-01-02T13:17:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/spacexs-first-falcon-9-launch-of-2024-features-first-6-direct-to-cell-starlink-satellites\/"},"modified":"2024-01-02T21:17:19","modified_gmt":"2024-01-02T13:17:19","slug":"spacexs-first-falcon-9-launch-of-2024-features-first-6-direct-to-cell-starlink-satellites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/spacexs-first-falcon-9-launch-of-2024-features-first-6-direct-to-cell-starlink-satellites\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX\u2019s first Falcon 9 launch of 2024 features first 6 direct-to-cell Starlink satellites"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_64950\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-64950\" style=\"width: 832px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-64950\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Screenshot-2024-01-02-at-10.44.42\u202fPM.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"832\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Screenshot-2024-01-02-at-10.44.42\u202fPM.png 832w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Screenshot-2024-01-02-at-10.44.42\u202fPM-300x142.png 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Screenshot-2024-01-02-at-10.44.42\u202fPM-678x320.png 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/Screenshot-2024-01-02-at-10.44.42\u202fPM-768x363.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 832px) 100vw, 832px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-64950\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">SpaceX launches its first orbital mission of 2024. The Starlink 7-9 mission featured the first six direct-to-cell satellites. Image: SpaceX<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>Update 9:31 p.m. EST: <em>SpaceX adjusted the presumed liftoff time.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>SpaceX is wasting no time in kicking off what it plans to be a historically busy year for orbital launches. The company launched its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket on a Starlink satellite mission Tuesday night.<\/p>\n<p>Liftoff 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 in California. Among the 21 Starlink satellites launching Tuesday evening were the first six that will feature <b>direct-to-cell<\/b> capabilities.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7WGTDdOVJy0\" width=\"678\" height=\"381\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This launch was originally planned for mid-December, but SpaceX ran into undisclosed issues in the run-up to launch and had to scrub the mission.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement, SpaceX said that adding DTC will \u201cenable mobile network operators around the world to provide seamless global access to texting, calling and browsing\u2026 on land, lakes or coastal waters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During and August 2022 event featuring SpaceX founder Elon Musk and T-Mobile CEO and President Mike Sievert, Musk called the new addition \u201ca massive game changer\u201d that would help eliminated dead zones across the globe.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis really is a big deal,\u201d Musk said during the presentation. \u201cEven if an entire region or country lost connectivity because of a severe hurricane or floods or fires or tornados, earthquakes\u2026 even if all the cell towers were taken out, your phone would still work.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_64767\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-64767\" style=\"width: 2048px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-64767\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/diagram-v2-2048x1024-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/diagram-v2-2048x1024-1.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/diagram-v2-2048x1024-1-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/diagram-v2-2048x1024-1-678x339.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/diagram-v2-2048x1024-1-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/diagram-v2-2048x1024-1-1536x768.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-64767\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A diagram of the Starlink direct-to-cell service. Graphic: SpaceX<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to a Nov. 30, 2023, email sent to Kathyrn Medley, the acting division chief of the Federal Communication\u2019s (FCC) Satellite Licensing Division, SpaceX anticipates launching \u201capproximately 840 direct-to-cell capable satellites over the next 6 months, with additional launches continuing after that period.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jameson Dempsey, SpaceX\u2019s director of satellite policy and the author of the email, wrote that the planned and future launches would \u201censure that we can launch a critical mass of satellites in time to deliver commercial service later in 2024.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs such, while we understand that the Commission may limit our experimental authority to the satellites we expect to launch and testing the next 6 months, we request that the launch license include authority for all 7500 satellites in our direct-to-cell modification application,\u201d Dempsey wrote.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1742388617732050945&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2024%2F01%2F02%2Flive-coverage-spacexs-first-falcon-9-launch-of-2024-to-feature-first-6-direct-to-cell-starlink-satellites%2F&amp;sessionId=e4e2ab6f747180ff39e3f2f219f370df313af7bb&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1742388617732050945\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782461855536191837=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The six @Starlink satellites on this mission with Direct to Cell capability will further global connectivity and help to eliminate dead zones \u2192 https:\/\/t.co\/FgiJ7LOYdK pic.twitter.com\/zFy7SrpsYs<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 SpaceX (@SpaceX) January 3, 2024<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Sievert noted during the August 2022 event that the upcoming service in the U.S. would use the existing T-Mobile mid-band PCS spectrum.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat allows us to then dedicate that, working together, to the constellation that Starlink operates so that we are seeing those satellites from every corner of the country,\u201d Sievert said. \u201cIf you have a clear view of the sky, our vision is you\u2019re connected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour phone doesn\u2019t know it\u2019s connecting to space. It will scan for its home network, it\u2019ll scan for terrestrial roaming partners as well,\u201d Sievert<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">&nbsp; <\/span>added. \u201cAnd if it fails to see those things, it will scan again and it will connect to the authorized connection from the satellite and it\u2019ll think it\u2019s connected to a cell tower because that phone is using industry standard technology communication protocols and it has the spectrum already built in. At least, the vast majority of phones in circulation today do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Falcon 9 rocket supporting Tuesday\u2019s launch features first stage booster, tail number B1082, which will launch for the first time on this mission. About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the booster will land on the droneship, \u2018Of Course I Still Love You.\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SpaceX launches its first orbital mission of 2024. The Starlink 7-9 mission featured the first six direct-to-cell satellites. Image: SpaceX Update 9:31 p.m. EST: SpaceX adjusted the presumed liftoff time. SpaceX is wasting no time in kicking off what it plans to be a historically busy year for orbital launches. The company launched its workhorse [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[479,316,1480],"class_list":["post-10216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-falcon-9","tag-spacex","tag-starlink-7-9"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10216"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10216\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}