SpaceX reached a brand new milestone with its Starlink high-speed web program throughout at this time’s Falcon 9 launch.
At 11:33 a.m. EDT, SpaceX launched 21 extra Starlink satellites from the Cape Canaveral House Drive Station in Florida, simply sooner or later after unfavorable climate circumstances delayed takeoff. The Falcon 9 first-stage took off from House Launch Advanced 40.
The 21 satellites formally mark the 7,000 mark for the Starlink program. The overall is now 7,001 satellites, because the earlier profitable launch marked 6,980 whole in low Earth orbit.
The newest batch additionally included 13 Direct-to-Cell satellites, which give web straight to smartphones. SpaceX confirmed that in its post-launch press launch on Thursday afternoon.
The 7,000 satellite tv for pc threshold is confirmed by Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist who has tracked the variety of Starlinks within the sky with every launch. The quantity was first reported by House.com.
Falcon 9 delivers 21 @Starlink satellites, together with 13 with Direct to Cell Capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Florida pic.twitter.com/FBNZTVAcrG
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 5, 2024
Following the profitable separation, the Falcon 9 used within the launch returned to Earth and landed on the ‘Simply Learn the Directions’ droneship within the Atlantic Ocean. This was the fifteenth launch with this explicit first-stage booster. 9 of the fifteen had been Starlink launches.
Falcon 9 lands on the Simply Learn The Directions droneship pic.twitter.com/2LsaQ4ZMTb
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 5, 2024
This explicit Starlink launch was the third since an anomaly occurred with a Falcon 9 first stage, which toppled on the ‘A Shortfall from Gravitas’ droneship in late August.
The FAA initially grounded all Falcon 9 launches, however then allowed SpaceX to proceed on.
The launch was the primary of two in consecutive days for SpaceX.
SpaceX plans Starlink and Polaris Daybreak launches in consecutive days
Tomorrow, the long-awaited Polaris Daybreak mission is predicted to take off from NASA’s Kennedy House Station. The astronauts on that mission have been quarantined for days as they await affirmation that they’ll head to house.
The Polaris Daybreak mission was set to takeoff final week, however unfavorable circumstances within the Atlantic Ocean delayed the launch.
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