The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket also launched 60 more Starlink Internet-transmitting satellites on Saturday, bringing the total number of launches to date to 895 as the company builds thousands of planned starships designed to provide global high-speed broadband services.
The first flight of the Falcon 9, which flew two days late due to camera problems on the plane, erupted at 11:31 a.m. EDT, pushing the 229-foot-long rocket away from seat 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. . This is the 19th launch and 15th Starlink launch by a California rocket maker so far this year.
The low-altitude climb was smooth, and like SpaceX, the first phase of the Falcon 9 flew back and landed on a coastal drone. After a two-stage engine firing, all 60 Starlink satellites were launched spontaneously, making the company its 95th successful Falcon 9 aircraft and a total of 100.
SpaceX’s Starlink operation has approved the oversight of the launch of more than 12,000 small satellites into a variety of orbits, allowing commercial users to directly view space-based broadband signals from anywhere in the world. The company is already testing services in selected areas.
In less than three weeks since launching on Saturday, SpaceX has orbited 895 Starlinks, 180 of which are more satellites than other companies.
According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, astronomer 53 Starlinks has been intentionally canceled to date, two of which have re-entered spontaneously after the failure, and another 20 people no longer exercise. Including Saturday, which hits 60 markets, about 820 operators will remain in Starlinks orbit.
