Record-Setting Launch for SpaceX
SpaceX launched another 58 Starlink satellites along with three SkySats for Planet Tuesday morning.
The Falcon 9 booster lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida at 10:31 EDT, marking the sixth time this particular booster has been flown … a milestone launch for SpaceX. The booster touched down as planned aboard the "Of Course I Still Love You" droneship … the 58th booster recovery for SpaceX and the 39th at sea.
The deployment of the 58 Starlink satellites brings the total constellation to 665 units. Starlink is intended to provide high-speed internet access to underserved areas where wired connections are not readily available. The system is currently in Beta testing to determine the network's reliability, upload and download speeds.
The other passengers aboard the flight were Planet SkySats, part of a constellation of Earth-observation satellites that now numbers 21. According to Planet, the satellites launched Tuesday will operate in a “mid-inclination” orbit of 53 degrees that complements the sun synchronous fleet, and will offer more targeted coverage and imaging capacity in the latitude bands between +53 degrees and -53 degrees where the majority of human activity occurs.
Planet said on their website that by taking advantage of SpaceX’s rideshare program they were able to get these satellites launched much faster compared to a dedicated launch. In addition, by splitting the payload across two launches, they have been able to phase the mid-inclination SkySats into their respective planes much faster as well, all of which results in Planet’s customers benefiting from these enhanced products much sooner than any other provider can offer. SpaceX launched three Planet SkySats on a previous Starlink mission in June.
(Image from file)