星舰第14次试飞将首次把V3星链卫星送入轨道

In July, SpaceX's 13th Starship test flight successfully deployed 20 "V3" Starlink satellites into sub-orbital trajectories for a series of speed tests before they "demised" some 20 minutes later to burn up in the Earth's atmosphere. The company's 14th Starship test flight, set to launch as soon as September 28 (pending regulatory review), intends to put 26 V3 satellites into orbit to join the Starlink constellation. In the July test, the V3s were deployed from SpaceX's heavy-duty rocket Starship like candies from a Pez dispenser. Tests of the extension of the satellites' solar arrays and antennas and their communication with ground systems followed. If next week's planned deployment is successful, it will be the first time the new, high-capacity V3 will get into orbit and enter service. Each V3 supports about 1 Tbit/s of downlink capacity and 160 Gbit/s of uplink capacity as well as 2,0249 transmission and receiving beams. Each of the satellites will deliver a 10x improvement on the downlink and a 22x improvement on the uplink when compared to the Starlink V2 satellite. The combined payload of V3s for next week's test will support about 26 Tbit/s of total capacity, according to SpaceX. When deployed at scale, the V3s will help Starlink bulk up on the bandwidth and support more users, and further its lead against rivals such as Amazon Leo. The future rollout of V3s will also give Starlink the ability to extend access into some denser areas, though analysts still see Starlink being largely suited to low-density markets. "Flight 14 is the first point where Starship can begin adding usable broadband capacity rather than only proving the vehicle," Evercore ISI analysts said in a research note. "A successful orbital insertion and V3 deployment would provide the first tangible proof point for the next leg of the broadband capacity ramp and begin validating the broader connectivity ambitions enabled by Starship." The analysts also pointed out that the technology for the V3 will support the Gen 2 satellites for Starlink Mobile and its next-gen direct-to-device (D2D) service, which will tap into spectrum acquired from EchoStar. SpaceX said the 75-minute launch window on September 22 will open at 7:15 a.m. CDT. Starship also set for first orbital flight The V3 deployment will serve as an important test flight for Starship itself, as it aims to be the first to put the vehicle's upper stage into orbit before employing a controlled reentry and splashdown in the Pacific…