SpaceX readies two launches
November 16, 2022
By Chris Forrester
SpaceX is planning to launch its next batch of its Starlink satellites on November 17th; and November 20th should see SpaceX launch Eutelsat’s latest craft, its Eutelsat 10B satellite.
The November 17th launch, subject to the usual technical and weather-related restraints, will see Starlink’s latest mission launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The satellites will launch into near-polar orbits. Timing is scheduled for 03.22am (GMT).
Eutelsat’s 10B satellite will launch from Cape Canaveral on November 20th at 23.33 GMT. It is an all-electric satellite and will be placed at 10 degrees East. Built by Thales the craft will take some months to reach its final orbital destination.
The Eutelsat craft will carry two new multi-beam High Throughput Satellite Ku-band payloads: a high-capacity payload, covering the North Atlantic corridor, Europe, the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East plus a second payload to extend coverage across the Atlantic and Africa and the Indian Ocean regions.
To carry out these tasks it has 36 Ku-band transponders and 20 in C-band. The satellite will replace Eutelsat 10A which is scheduled to reach its ‘end of life’ in 2023.