SpaceX has launched 60 more Starlink satellites and is approaching its original target of 1,440 vehicles
It took the 10th starting SpaceX rocket this year. At 19:34 Moscow time, another 60 Starlink communication satellites departed into the sky from the SLC-40 launch complex at the Space Force Station at Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The group was safely launched into Earth orbit, and 9 minutes after the launch, the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket landed on the Of Course I Still Love You sea barge, which was its seventh landing. After another hour or so, the satellites were deployed.
SpaceX’s original plan was to launch a constellation of 1,440 broadband satellites, and the company is already approaching that target. Ultimately, however, the constellation could be made up of tens of thousands of satellites, as SpaceX has received permission to launch up to 30,000 vehicles into low-earth orbit, as well as the ability to launch additional vehicles.
The main stage that powered today’s launch is marked B1058 and is one of SpaceX’s veterans aspiring to lead its reusable space fleet. Previously, she participated in the delivery of NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station on ANALYSIS-II, CRS-21, Transporter-1 missions, and two Starlink launches. One-half of Falcon 9’s fairing was previously used in the AMOS-17 mission and twice protected Starlink satellites during launch into orbit, and the other half participated in the Starlink mission once.
This first stage debuted almost a year ago and featured the iconic NASA logo. ” The worm is back, ” former NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted at the time. The red worm logo was created in the 1970s and was in use for a while before the space agency switched exclusively to another symbol called the meatball. Although it is still the main logo, NASA decided to use the worm in its human-crewed missions as a tribute to the past.
Starlink customers in Better Than Nothing beta are currently purchasing a kit that includes a phased array dish antenna and a Wi-Fi router for wireless satellite internet connectivity. In the US, the starter kit costs $ 500 with a monthly subscription fee of $ 100, but the program is already in operation in many countries. SpaceX is set to build a Starlink plant in Texas and roll out satellite services by the end of the year in 25 countries. The company also recently applied to provide satellite internet access for moving objects.
