The first "next-generation" Starlink satellites from SpaceX look suspiciously familiar.
The next Starlink mission will be similar in size to the V 1.5 satellites it is already launching, but not the larger V2 or V2 Mini satellites discussed in recent FCC filings. It is not clear why the V1 constellation is unfinished and why a V1.5-sized satellite is an option for early Gen2 launches. The name alone is confusing.
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The first launch of Group 5 of a constellation is referred to as G5-1. Group is synonymous with shell, which describes a set of satellites that share the same inclination and altitude. Only one of the three approved constellations has five shells, and that shell can only be found at 98.6 degrees. The FCC has partially approved three of the nine planned shells, one of which is at 43 degrees.
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It would take months to get a modified license from the FCC if the company wanted to add larger satellites to its V1 constellation. The V1 constellation, which only has approval for satellites between 53 and 98.6 degrees, is not involved in the Starlink G5-1 launch. The FCC granted permission for the company to launch a constellation of 7518 Starlink satellites in October of last year.
The Starlink VLEO and Starlink Gen2 constellations were approved by the FCC in November 2022, but have yet to be launched. Around the turn of the month, the FCC partially granted the Starlink Gen2 license, adding unprecedentedly strict requirements and only permitting the launch of 7500 of 33,000 planned Gen2 satellites to a limited set of inclinations. Without a license modification, the VLEO constellation is stuck with the same smaller satellites that the CEO believes make the first Starlink V1 constellation unsustainable.
The company will need to have launched half of its satellites by the first deployment milestone in order to avoid penalties from the FCC. A third smaller Starlink V2 satellite variant was mentioned in an October 2022 FCC filing that fell mostly under the radar. The FCC was told by the company that it was developing three versions.
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The smallest variant was said to weigh over 300 kilograms and have the same dimensions as the existing V 1.5 satellites. V2 satellites could be about the same size and shape as V 1.5 satellites, which makes little sense. It is clear that the CEO may have been trying to create a threat that would encourage employees to work longer hours. Even though the Starlink Gen1 is more than 25% complete, the launch of the V2 satellite variant is confusing at best.
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