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On Saturday, October 24 at 11:31 a.m. EDT, 11:31 UTC, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched 60 more Starlink satellites to orbit approximately 1 hour and 3 minutes after liftoff. The mission that flew from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida marked the 100th flight of a Falcon rocket since Falcon 1 first flew into orbit in 2008. .
RELATED: SPACEX SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES 60 SATELLITES FOR THE STARLINK MISSION
A successful landing
The mission also saw SpaceX successfully land the first stage of the Falcon 9 on the “Just Read the Instructions” drone ship parked in the Atlantic Ocean, an always impressive achievement. So far, SpaceX has managed to successfully land a first-stage Falcon booster rocket 63 times and booster boosters 45 times, making the Falcon 9 the most flown operational rocket in the United States.
The firm further explained in a statement that it is the only launch provider in the world capable of accurately landing an orbital rocket after it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere. “Standing 14 stories high and traveling more 2900 mph (1300 m / s), stabilizing the Falcon 9’s first stage thruster for landing is like trying to balance a squeegee in your hand in the middle of a hurricane, “wrote SpaceX.
Reusable rockets
The firm also emphasized the importance of using reusable rockets. “SpaceX believes that fully and rapidly reusable rockets are the fundamental advance needed to dramatically reduce the cost of access to space and allow people to travel and live on other planets. While most rockets are expendable after launch, similar to drop a plane after a one-way trip from Los Angeles to New York: SpaceX is working toward a future where reusable rockets are the norm, “wrote SpaceX.
The firm also revealed that all of its recent flights have been working towards the development of Starship, SpaceX’s next-generation super heavy cargo transportation system, completely reusable and fast. This breakthrough is intended to reduce the cost of space flight to a degree that helps humanity eventually become a multiplanetary species – Elon Musk’s dream.
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