The rocket will launch 46 satellites into low Earth orbit
NEW YORK, February 21. /tass/. SpaceX on Monday launched a Falcon 9 launch vehicle with another grouping of Starlink microsatellites. The broadcast is conducted on the company's website.
The launch from the spaceport at Cape Canaveral (Florida) took place at 09:44 East Coast time (17:44 Moscow time). The rocket will launch 46 satellites into low Earth orbit.
The first stage of the rocket was previously used for ten launches. SpaceX employees intend to return this Falcon 9 element to Earth again. It is expected that after the launch, the stage will automatically descend smoothly to a floating platform in the Atlantic Ocean. This technology allows the company to reduce the cost of regular launches.
The previous launch of Starlink microsatellites into orbit took place in early February. The current start was supposed to take place on Saturday, February 19, but was postponed due to adverse weather conditions.
The Starlink network is designed to provide Internet access by deploying a large number of devices weighing 260 kg. According to SpaceX, the launch of a total of 11 thousand satellites and their commissioning will cost $ 10 billion. The company assures that it will be able to provide broadband Internet with a traffic speed of 1 gigabit per second, which corresponds to the 5G standard. The current launch was the 36th in a row under the Starlink program, in total, since May 2019, SpaceX has put about 2 thousand satellites into orbit.