Within the newest in a protracted line of twists, SpaceX has requested permission from the FCC to function a Starlink web antenna put in on Starship serial quantity 15 (SN15).
The primary in a deliberate batch of 4 or extra upgraded Starship prototypes, SN15 was rolled a mile down the street from SpaceX’s South Texas manufacturing facility to its suborbital launch pad late final week. Across the similar time that its aft tank part was being prepped for nostril set up on April third, a few of the first 360-degree views of the rocket revealed an uncommon porthole-esque addition simply above the Starship’s ahead tank dome. Way back to Starhopper in 2019, Starships have used that house between tank and nosecone as an set up level for avionics, Tesla batteries, and numerous radio and GPS antennas, amongst different issues.
The brand new {hardware} typically fell underneath the radar however most that took observe assumed it was some type of antenna improve. Because it seems, that hypothesis was nearly definitely right – however not in the best way most anticipated.
When SN15’s new antenna first appeared, the author speculated that it bore a placing resemblance to a SpaceX Starlink dish. Nevertheless, one other discussion board consumer argued that it was extra possible an upgraded S-band antenna akin to these used on SpaceX’s Falcon rockets. The writer later noted that the S-band antenna pass-through situated on the interstage of Falcon boosters was nearly the identical measurement as the brand new antenna and shroud seen on Starship SN15, seemingly closing the case.
9 days later, SpaceX requested the FCC for permission to function a Starlink dish (consumer terminal) in Boca Chica “at altitudes to not exceed 12.5 km” throughout operations “on the bottom or throughout check flights.” In different phrases, the antenna put in on Starship SN15 is nearly definitely a Starlink dish. Surrounded by an aerodynamic shroud, the antenna is firmly fastened on the rocket and would rely completely upon cutting-edge phased array beamforming to electronically ‘steer’ itself to each transmit and obtain from a number of of just about a thousand operational Starlink satellites at present in orbit.
In SpaceX’s FCC Particular Non permanent Authority (STA) request, the corporate curiously requested for the 60-day check interval to start on April twentieth. Even when the FCC strikes extraordinarily shortly and grants the STA inside a couple of days to every week of SpaceX’s April ninth request, it’s unlikely that the corporate would delay Starship SN15 check or launch plans by nearly ten days to attend for permission to make use of the rocket’s new Starlink antenna. In different phrases, whereas SN15 is the primary Starship to have a Starlink antenna put in, there’s a good likelihood it received’t be the primary to truly put that functionality to the check – each on the bottom or throughout a launch.
Whereas unlikely, the truth that SpaceX’s Starship SN15 Starlink antenna set up is nearly the identical measurement as Falcon 9’s dependable however much more primary S-band setup additionally begs the query of whether or not success on Starship check flights may finally result in the addition of Starlink dishes on future Falcon boosters. Regardless, Starship SN15 is on monitor to kick off a busy week of qualification testing in South Texas. If the rocket suffers any vital delays, as has admittedly been the norm for Starship prototypes, there’s a great likelihood SN15 may start testing its Starlink dish across the center of subsequent week.