SpaceX successfully launched 60 Starlink mini-satellites into orbit
The heavy launch vehicle Falcon 9 of the American company SpaceX has successfully launched 60 mini-satellites into low-earth orbit. They are intended to replenish the orbital grouping of the global network of Internet coverage of the Starlink system, 360 reports.
“The withdrawal of satellites has been confirmed,” SpaceX said.
The launch of the Falcon 9 carrier rocket was carried out from the 40th launch site at the NASA cosmodrome at Cape Canaveral at 01:19 US East Coast time (09:19 Moscow time). An hour and five minutes later, the Starlink satellite array was launched into orbit. The first reusable stage of the rocket, which is used for launch for the fifth time, after eight minutes and 25 seconds made a controlled landing on the floating platform Of Course I Still Love You, located in the Atlantic.
Starlink satellites have been in orbit since May 2019. The previous launch of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle with 60 spacecraft of this type took place on January 20.
Currently, SpaceX's orbital constellation consists of 1,083 Starlink spacecraft, including the current mini-satellites. The American company is currently the largest satellite operator in the world.
SpaceX plans to deploy a constellation of 12,000 Starlink mini-satellites in orbit, and then increase their number to 30,000. Thus, a full-scale network will be created, which will provide the inhabitants of the Earth with broadband Internet access anywhere in the world. The amount of investments in the implementation of this project is estimated at $ 10 billion.
Earlier, SpaceX announced plans to send space tourists into Earth's orbit. This will be done as part of the Inspiration4 commercial mission.
