Monday morning SpaceX launch sends more Starlink satellites to orbit
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket vaulted away from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station along a southern trajectory to kick off the work week early Monday, taking 53 internet satellites to low-Earth orbit.
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From which launch site did the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink satellites launch?
At 3:10 a.m. EDT, nine Merlin main engines ignited to boost the 230-foot rocket away from Launch Complex 40. After a jog along the coast threading between Florida and the Bahamas, the rocket's booster landed on SpaceX's "Just Read the Instructions" drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean, completing its ninth trip to the edge of space and back.
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What was the name of the SpaceX droneship that the Falcon 9 booster landed on?
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With more than 4,500 satellites launched since 2016, SpaceX does not intend to slow its pace any time soon. The company anticipates needing tens of thousands of the flat-pack satellites that operate about 340 miles above Earth, to deliver reliable high-speed connectivity services to every continent.
Some planes, cruise ships, and recreational vehicles can also be equipped to access the service from remote locations worldwide.
The company also has an agreement with cellular service provider T-Mobile to allow users to access Starlink internet services to send text messages. The plan, called "Coverage Above & Beyond," is expected to be available to T-mobile customers by the end of this year.
A three-core United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy is the next rocket slated to fly from Florida. The penultimate mission before the rocket's retirement features a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. Liftoff from the Cape's Launch Complex 37 is set for sometime between 3:00 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, June 21.
Meanwhile, more Falcon 9 missions are expected from Cape Canaveral this month, but SpaceX hasn't yet confirmed targeted launch dates with the Eastern Range.
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