^^^^^
Note: New & Improved Avatar! So long, RC X-1.


Well, two things. One, the initial Starlink orbits are to about 275 miles, then they use ion thrustes to go to their operational orbits at 340 miles, and "reboost" themselves until shortly before running out of fuel then deorbit themselves.

Anyway, the "ladder" would decay and re-enter in about 5-6 years, it seems.

Now, this is total speculation on my part, but the "ladder" may have its own ion engines and actively de-orbit itself. Because SpaceX has been pretty good about de-orbiting the 2nd stages whenever practical.

Of course I could google to see if there is any public info on whether the ladder de-orbits itself, or even ask on NASA Spaceflight Forum, but also so can anyone reading this.

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From the Transporter-3 mission.

A really really REALLY cool video of the Falcon booster staging, after staging, doing the boost back burn.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi9oddXzQG0

In the background is the voice narration from the SpaceX live stream.

Lots of thruster firings as it coasts back towards KSC (cold gas nitrogen thrusters)

Then later, the best view I can recall of the re-entry burn. You can really see how the center engine fires first, then a few seconds later two outer engines ignite and the exhaust flame gets to be like a very wide rounded rectangle. Then the outer two burn out, followed by the center.

A very nice close-up of the booster coming in to land. The actual last 50 feet of the landing behind trees. Then.... BOOM! (in a good way)

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Contest flying, Sport flying, it's all good.....
NAR# 18723 NAR.org
GeorgesRockets.com
Georges'CancerGoFundMe:
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That was nice video

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