Cape Canaveral, Fla. SpaceX Delivered a new batch of its Starlink satellites into orbit today (Sept.) and nailed a rocket landing after a short delay.
One to two phases Falcon 9 rocket At 39:48 a.m., a full load of 60 Starlink satellites were carried from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The first phase of the booster returned to Earth about 9 minutes after launch, landing on a SpaceX drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
This was the third attempt to get this special mission off the ground due to weather and data-review delays. The projection marks the first Starlink This month’s mission and SpaceX’s 16th mission so far in 2020. The California-based rocket builder has arrived at a new milestone on its previous Starlink flight, the company’s fleet of proven summer boosters is busy this summer: Start and land the same first stage booster six times.
Related: SpaceX’s Starlink satellite launches in megacons installation photos
After a stormy weather weekend, it was nothing more than a sunny sky and clear weather for a picture-perfect launch. Viewers were overwhelmed by the roar of the engine and the roar of the overhead.
“After a simple configuration, the satellites broke down,” said Kate Tais, a SpaceXX engineer and launch commentator.
SpaceX initially planned to operate it Launch the doubleheader On Sunday (August 30) the same day the company launched two different Falcon 9s from its Florida-based launching pad – the first for a private spaceflight company. However, those plans failed Bad weather conditions Produced by normal summer hurricanes in the area.
The weather over the weekend was so bad that reporters couldn’t set up remote cameras to photograph the launch either. Typically, SpaceX allows media members to go outside the launch pad (before liftoff) to adjust the camera closest to the rocket that will take photos during the launch.
Photographers have a little window of time to adjust the camera, so as not to interfere with prelaunch activities. Unfortunately, for both Starlink setup and SAOCOM-1B Mission, Weather officials found electricity around the pads and did not allow anyone to stay outside, so cameras were not set up.
But the weather delay brought new hope to the Starlink mission (and a new opportunity for photos), as the updated forecast improved dramatically and the Falcon 9 landed.
Frequent flyers
The booster featured in today’s flight is one of SpaceX’s newest. Designated B1060 (an internal identifier), before the booster flew a little more than two months ago Accelerated upgraded GPS III satellite For the United States Space Force.
The bomber struck shortly after noon in front of a U.S. military base at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Is the first mission for the military, in which SpaceX was allowed to recover its first phase booster. Historically, missions like GPS III have included expensive boosters that have been discarded in SpaceX Ocean. However, the company was allowed to launch its booster at sea for that.
The B1060 is the latest addition to SpaceX’s fleet of frequent flyers. About nine minutes after the lift off Fana, the second landing on the first stage, the SpaceX drone ship “Cf course I still love.” No touched on the deck.
The landing today marks the 60th recovery of the Falcon first phase. SpaceX Recovered its first booster in 2015 And worked to make booster landings look smoother. Earlier this year, SpaceX upgraded its second drone ship, “Just Read Instructions” and began using it to help capture boosters in the Atlantic Ocean.
That ship, which was first deployed on the West Coast, has enabled SpaceX to increase its launching cadence and recover more rockets.
Megaconstriction extends
SpaceX hopes that its Starlink megacons installation will provide global broadband coverage, especially to people in rural and remote areas. To connect the fleet of broadband satellites, SpaceX has created a small terminal (approximately the size of a laptop) for users on the ground.
SpaceX has launched more than 700 Internet-beaming satellites into space, including 60 satellites launched on the mission, marking the 12th Starlink flight since May 2019. Elon Musk, the company’s founder and CEO, said there must be 500 to 800 satellites in orbit before service can begin.
But SpaceX is speed-testing its growing space-based Internet service, and during the mission’s webcast, Tais said the data collected so far suggests the service will provide faster download speeds.
Of SpaceX Starlink megacons installation Already has the world’s largest fleet of satellites, but hundreds more will be launched next month as the company works to complete its initial network of 1,440 satellites. That’s why company representatives say that almost every day six flat-panel satellites are built at its facilities in Washington state, Washington, and they estimate that the 60-satellite Starlink mission could launch every two to three weeks.
The US Federal Communications Commission has approved SpaceX to launch as many as 12,000 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit, providing customers with high-speed, low-latency Internet.
Also Not everyone is thrilled About SpaceX’s promise to connect the world. The project has been a thorny issue for astronomers and Skywe hers, since the very first satellite was deployed. That’s because the Starlink satellites were brighter than anyone expected. When they reach orbit for the first time, they look like a train of bright dots glowing in the night sky (although those dramatic visual satellites are moving into their operational orbit).
Astronomers need dark skies to create images of distant galaxies and stars and other celestial objects. Scientists around the world are concerned that bright satellites may interfere with scientific observations. To alleviate this issue, SpaceX is working with the astronomy community to bring solutions.
This is now the second batch of Starlink satellites equipped with special visors – Called sunshade – To reduce their apparent brightness. The visor works to block sunlight by reflecting the shinist parts of satellites such as antennas.
Before launching its Internet service, SpaceX has begun giving potential users the opportunity to test its Starlink network before launching a commercial service. Selected users have already started beta-testing Service Right now, but many more satellites could end up launching before Musk and SpaceX connect the world.
Proper recovery efforts
In 2015, SpaceX changed the rocket game so that it could reuse the most expensive part of the rocket: the first phase. According to Musk, this bulk of the hardware is for most of the Falcon 9’s total price tag. But SpaceX is not satisfied. In an effort to further reduce launching costs, the company has developed two boats with huge bids that help it. Receive pay and reuse its payload fairings, Catching them with a fall back to Earth.
Historically, hardware such as the Clash (also called a rocket nose cone) has been dumped into the sea, never to be used again. But to further its utilization efforts, SpaceX has prepared each piece to gently land at sea with the necessary equipment – parachutes and software software. (SpaceX will split in two on Earth.)
SpaceX wants to limit seawater’s seawater exposure to make it easier to reuse this crucial piece of hardware. Together, the two ferring halves cost about million 1 million, which is a huge amount to save if SpaceX can renew and reuse. For that, SpaceX usually sends two of its ships – Go Mrs. Tree and Geo Ms. – Remove each projection as soon as pieces of ferring fall or land. Remove each projection immediately or immediately after landing. Remove it from the water.
Just having a wide net does not mean that one (or both boats) will be really capable Make a catchHowever, for example, the weather also plays a role.
While SpaceX split over the weekend with its own dynamic net-equipped pair, the company planned two launches on the same day. G.O. Mr. The Chief was able to scavenge both pieces of the SAOCOM-1B out of the sea and safely deliver them back to the SpaceX facility at Port Canaveral.
The ship then sailed back to sea, joined his comrades, already stationed in the Atlantic and awaiting today’s Starlink mission. All recovery efforts (either catch or scoop) are expected to occur approximately 40 minutes after the lift off.
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