A new group of satellites may also appear over Europe in the near future. Shortly after being placed into orbit, individual Starlink satellites fly relatively close to one another, so with the right flyover geometry and illumination by the Sun, they may be visible as a distinctive string of points moving across the sky.
Falcon 9 launched from Vandenberg with 24 Starlink satellites
The Falcon 9 rocket launched on August 18 at 9:01 PM PDT (Pacific Daylight Time) from Space Launch Complex 4 East, or SLC-4E, at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Converted to Universal Time, this was August 19 at 04:01 UTC.
For observers in Poland and other countries currently using CEST, the launch therefore took place on August 19 at 06:01 CEST. The difference from California is currently nine hours, which is why the launch date had already shifted to the following day on the European side of the Atlantic.
There were 24 Starlink satellites aboard the second stage, which were sent into low Earth orbit. SpaceX later confirmed their deployment.
The twelfth flight of the same Falcon 9 first stage
The mission was also another example of the intensive use of recoverable Falcon 9 first stages. The booster supporting this launch was making its 12th flight.
Previously, the same booster had taken part in, among others, the Sentinel-6B, Twilight, NROL-172, and Transporter-17 missions, as well as flights intended to expand the Starlink constellation. After completing its first-stage burn and separating from the second stage, the booster began a controlled return toward the Pacific Ocean.
The landing took place on the autonomous drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, positioned in the Pacific. This allows the first stage to be used for another mission after inspection and preparation.
New Starlink satellites may fly over Europe
For skywatchers, the first orbits after launch will be the most interesting. After being released from the second stage, the satellites initially remain in a lower orbit and only later gradually move to their target orbital planes and operational altitudes.
It is at this stage that there is the greatest chance of seeing the distinctive “Starlink train.” The objects may still be relatively close together and, from Earth's surface, look like a series of bright points moving along nearly the same trajectory.
Flyovers of the new Starlink group may also be visible over Europe, but their observability depends on the specific location. The key factors are the satellites' altitude above the horizon, the Sun's position below the horizon, and whether the satellites remain illuminated by sunlight at the time of the flyover.
Not every flyover will therefore be visible to the naked eye. Even when the satellites pass over a given area, they may be in Earth's shadow or moving too low above the horizon to provide good viewing conditions.
Where can you check the flyover path of the new Starlink satellites?
The satellites' flyover trajectory can be checked in the Skylep app. The objects' positions in the sky change with each subsequent orbit, so when planning observations, it is worth using data calculated for the observer's specific location.
In practice, the main points of interest are the flyover time, the azimuth at which the objects appear, their maximum altitude above the horizon, and the direction in which they will move. During the first hours and days after deployment, the orbital parameters of the new Starlink satellites may change due to maneuvers performed by the individual satellites.
If the flyover geometry over Europe proves favorable, the group launched on August 19 may be easier to identify before it becomes more widely dispersed in orbit. Therefore, it is best to check the exact path over a selected locality as close as possible to the planned observation time.