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CAP CAN CANAL, Florida – SpaceX has taken a giant step towards making global Internet coverage a fifth Rocket Falcon 9 of the year took flight Thursday night (May 23rd), sending in space 60 satellites with Internet transmission.
After the successful launch, the first stage of the rocket gently landed on a floating platform at sea, marking the 40th anniversary of the company. recall recovery. This was the third flight of this particular amplifier, the third time SpaceX had done more than twice the first floor of the Falcon 9.
The third time was a charm for SpaceX as the Falcon 9 took off at 22:30. EDT (02:30 GMT May 24) from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida, following several delays: a 24-hour first delay due to high winds at altitude May 15, then a week late so SpaceX can give embedded software a software Software update.
Hidden in the rocket nose cone There were 60 satellites – the first batch of SpaceX's Starlink mega-appellation, which he hopes will help provide affordable Internet coverage to the world.
Related: Launch the photos of SpaceX's first Starlink satellite internet flight!
A three-flight SpaceX Falcon 9 launches the company's first 60 Starlink satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base, Florida, May 23, 2019.
(Image: © SpaceX)
Here's an overview of 60 SpaceX Starlink satellites packed like sardines in the Falcon 9 rocket payload fairing before the May 23, 2019 launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida.
(Image: © SpaceX)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches into space for its third flight, launching the company's first 60 Starlink Internet Communications Satellites on May 23, 2019.
(Image: © SpaceX)
The first operational SpaceX Starlink satellites are seen in space for the first time after the launch of the Falcon 9 payload hull after its launch on May 23, 2019.
(Image: © SpaceX)
The re-entry incident begins with the third flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 first-stage booster (left) while the second-floor continues to spin around 60 Starlink satellites on May 23, 2019.
(Image: © SpaceX)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands on the top of the drone ship Of course, I still love you in the Atlantic Ocean after a successful landing after the launch of 60 Starlink satellites on May 23, 2019. This was the third flight for this recall.
(Image: © SpaceX)
Before the first launch attempt, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted a picture of the fleet in the payload fairing of the Falcon 9, awaiting launch. The compact satellites, which look like a giant card game, fill almost every square inch of the Falcon 9's payload fairing.
This arrangement contrasted sharply with another photo shared by Musk, in which his cherry-red Tesla Roadster barely occupied the space occupied by his fairing, which had been launched during the inaugural voyage of the Falcon Heavy rocket in February 2018.
Each Starlink satellite weighs 500 pounds. (227 kg). The load of 60 spacecraft is the heaviest payload that a Falcon 9 has yet hoisted into orbit, SpaceX officials said.
The satellites are mounted in the space at the top of a first floor of veteran Falcon 9. Nicknamed B1049.3, an internal designator of SpaceX, the booster has now made three trips back and forth in space. Telstar 18 VANTAGE and Iridium 8 missions in orbit.
A huge constellation
In total, SpaceX plans to launch nearly 12,000 of these satellites, which will be stationed in an Internet coverage in low Earth orbit and beam to the world below. There will be two Starlink groups: a constellation of 4,409 satellites and a second constellation of 7,518 satellites, pursuant to an agreement with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The second largest constellation will fly at a slightly lower altitude, but together they will provide affordable coverage from all regions of the globe, said SpaceX representatives.
One caveat: FCC approvals require the company to launch half of the planned satellites over the next six years. SpaceX first launched Starlink craft in 2018, in February, launching two test satellites dubbed TinTin A and TinTin B. Their mission apparently went well, although SpaceX placed the pair in an orbit lower than originally planned. On the basis of the data obtained during this first test mission, SpaceX requested that part of its fleet be authorized to operate at lower altitude. FCC accepted.
The company has now launched operational versions of Starlink satellites, but these first 60 spacecraft are still test versions. Slightly varying the thousands of products the company plans to mass-produce, this first group of 60 people lacks some of the design features required by the latest constellation. For example, these satellites will not be able to communicate directly with each other, but they will also be able to communicate with the ground and maneuver.
This lot will also be used to test the best way to safely deploy Starlink satellites in orbit. These 60 satellites were packed flat inside the fairing, which meant there was no distributor to deploy them.
During the teleconference with the reporters on May 15, Musk explained in detail how the satellites would be deposited. Instead of using spring mechanisms to deploy each satellite, SpaceX engineers have chosen to use satellite inertia.
The upper deck of the Falcon 9 has rotated and the Starlink satellites have deployed like cards spread on a table. All 60 have gone into orbit an hour after launch and are already online about an hour later, Musk said via Twitter tonight.
Related: SpaceX Launches First Test Satellites for Starlink Internet Constellation
Trial
The first five Starlink satellites incorporate a lot of advanced engineering, said Musk. But he does not expect the spaceship to work perfectly.
"Many things will probably go wrong" Musk recently said via Twitter. He added that these 60 satellites are just the beginning; another six launches of 60 satellites each are needed before Starlink can begin to provide minor Internet coverage, and twelve additional launches for moderate coverage.
"This will not only provide Internet access to areas that do not have it, but also competitive access to already connected areas," Musk said in a May 15 teleconference.
At present, we rely on cell towers or wireless cables routed into our homes and offices to provide Internet access. This means that rural and remote areas around the world are often inaccessible. There are many other satellite internet options, but they are very expensive and offer very slow connection rates. (Remember dial-up?)
This is because the satellites that provide this service are too far away. SpaceX wants to change that, and it is not alone. Several companies (including OneWeb, TeleSat and now Amazon) want to provide Internet access to the masses by deploying a network of small satellites in low Earth orbit, hovering much closer to Earth than satellites currently providing Internet services.
OneWeb launched its first six satellites in February. But with 60 satellites now in orbit, SpaceX could be the first to provide extended coverage.
Editor's Note: This story was updated at 2:15 pm EDT (0615 GMT) to indicate that the satellites have been deployed successfully and are online. In addition, this article has been corrected to indicate that this reminder is the third to be launched and landed more than twice, not the second. Read about the other two right here and right here.
Follow Amy Thompson on Twitter @astrogingersnap. Follow us on twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
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