Last rocket launched 22 more satellites
SpaceX has launched 22 more of its Starlink internet satellites into orbit. According to astrophysicist and satellite tracking specialist Jonathan McDowell, this was a landmark mission for SpaceX, as the total number of Starlink satellites launched by the company to date has exceeded 5,000. Prior to the last launch, there were 4,983.
The satellites were launched on a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 01:05 GMT on Sunday, August 27. About 8.5 minutes later, the first stage of the Falcon 9 returned to Earth to land on the SpaceX unmanned platform, which was in the Atlantic Ocean. According to the SpaceX mission description, this was the third launch and landing of this particular launch vehicle. The 22 Starlink satellites were launched into low Earth orbit (LEO) approximately 65 minutes after launch.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has already launched more than 5,000 Starlink satellites into orbit
This Starlink launch follows another SpaceX mission from the Florida Space Coast: The company launched a four-astronaut Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center early Saturday morning. The Crew Dragon spacecraft with four crew members successfully docked to the ISS, as we have already reported .
SpaceX has permission to deploy 12,000 Starlink satellites in Earth orbit and has applied to host approximately 30,000 more satellites.
