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  • =?UTF-8?Q?=E2=80=9CNo_Pressure=3A_A_Massive_Starlink_Upgrade_Hinges?= =?UTF-8?Q?_on_SpaceX=E2=80=99s_Next_Starship_Launch=E2=80=9D?=

    From Lynn McGuire@lynnmcguire5@gmail.com to rec.arts.sf.written on Wed Sep 16 15:31:05 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    rCLNo Pressure: A Massive Starlink Upgrade Hinges on SpaceXrCOs Next
    Starship LaunchrCY

    https://www.pcmag.com/news/no-pressure-a-massive-starlink-upgrade-hinges-on-spacexs-next-starship

    rCLNext weekrCOs Starship Flight 14 will deploy the first operational
    Starlink V3 satellites, which promise a 10x leap in bandwidth capacity.
    A failure, however, could be a brutally expensive loss.rCY

    rCLSpaceX just announced the official launch window for Starship Flight
    14. No earlier than Sept. 22, it will depart from Starbase, TexasrCothe enormous SpaceX facility near Boca ChicarComarking the first attempt to
    put MuskrCOs mega-rocket on a true orbital trajectory.rCY

    rCLBut thererCOs more going on here than cool space launches. The test
    flight marks a major milestone for SpaceX and the development of its
    largest cargo-carrying launch vehicle. ItrCOs also an early landmark for Starlink, as the test flight will carry and deploy 26 Starlink V3
    satellites, which will kick off a long-awaited upgrade for the satellite internet service, promising potential gigabit speeds and the biggest
    step forward since the SpaceX IPO.rCY

    I was wondering when this would happen. The version 3 Starlink
    satellites are each the size of a 737 when the solar wings are deployed.

    Lynn

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  • From scott@scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) to rec.arts.sf.written on Thu Sep 17 15:24:40 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
    rCLNo Pressure: A Massive Starlink Upgrade Hinges on SpaceXrCOs Next >Starship LaunchrCY

    <snip fanboy>

    I was wondering when this would happen. The version 3 Starlink
    satellites are each the size of a 737 when the solar wings are deployed.

    Actually, that's not the case.

    "the orbiting Gen 3 (V3) satellites weigh about 4,400 pounds
    (2,000 to 2,500 kg) with an unfolded span of roughly 23 feet
    (7 meters)."

    The 737 wingspan ranges from 90 to 117 feet depending on model.
    --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
  • From Cryptoengineer@petertrei@gmail.com to rec.arts.sf.written on Thu Sep 17 22:46:27 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    On 9/17/2026 11:24 AM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
    rCLNo Pressure: A Massive Starlink Upgrade Hinges on SpaceXrCOs Next
    Starship LaunchrCY

    <snip fanboy>

    I was wondering when this would happen. The version 3 Starlink
    satellites are each the size of a 737 when the solar wings are deployed.

    Actually, that's not the case.

    "the orbiting Gen 3 (V3) satellites weigh about 4,400 pounds
    (2,000 to 2,500 kg) with an unfolded span of roughly 23 feet
    (7 meters)."

    The 737 wingspan ranges from 90 to 117 feet depending on model.

    This site:

    https://starlink.com/updates/starlink-version-3-satellites

    says the PV panels are 19 meters long. Twice
    that, plus a few meters for the body of the
    satellite, does take us into 737 territory.

    pt
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  • From Torbjorn Lindgren@tl@none.invalid to rec.arts.sf.written on Fri Sep 18 11:40:29 2026
    From Newsgroup: rec.arts.sf.written

    Scott Lurndal <slp53@pacbell.net> wrote:
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
    rCLNo Pressure: A Massive Starlink Upgrade Hinges on SpaceXrCOs Next >>Starship LaunchrCY

    <snip fanboy>

    I was wondering when this would happen. The version 3 Starlink
    satellites are each the size of a 737 when the solar wings are deployed.

    Actually, that's not the case.

    "the orbiting Gen 3 (V3) satellites weigh about 4,400 pounds
    (2,000 to 2,500 kg) with an unfolded span of roughly 23 feet
    (7 meters)."

    Actually, that's just wrong, guessing you trusted AI?... Just don't!

    The 7m size for the V3 satellites in the STOWED (launch) configuration,
    IE before folding out the solar panels.

    Don't think there's any "orbiting V3" satellites either, all the
    operational ones are V1 and V2 minis and we're discussing the launch
    of the first batch of operational V3 satellites (if all goes well).

    IIRC Flight 13 did launch a few test "V3" payloads but those were in
    the same suborbital trajectory as the F13 so is long dead and was
    never intended for anything other than mechanical launch testing and
    taking photos of the booster.

    The weight does appear to be about right but that's about the only
    thing it didn't get wrong.


    The 737 wingspan ranges from 90 to 117 feet depending on model.

    The figures I've found for the in-orbit footprint for a V3 satellite
    is approximately 42m*18m, or 138*60 feet.

    So it's not matching the wingspan/length but OTOH I think the area
    (important for solar panels) is actually significantly larger than a
    737's area.

    So I don't think the 737 comparison[1] Musk actually made is
    unreasonable. Some of the AI comparison I see OTOH feels a bit
    exaggerated.

    1. https://www.csimagazine.com/csi/SpaceX-to-launch-massive-StarlinkV3-satellites-with-low-latency.php
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