SpaceX just launched 53 Starlink satellites into low-orbit space using its reusable Falcon 9 spacecraft.
Today, May 13, marks SpaceX's 13th successful launch bookended by the pinpoint landing of Falcon 9 in the Pacific Ocean.
Starlink Satellites Launched by SpaceX
The SpaceX launch of a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket carrying 53 Starlink satellites took place on Friday at 6:07 p.m. EDT from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to Space.com.
Everything went according to plan as the first stage of the Falcon 9 returned to Earth and made a perfect landing on the SpaceX droneship "Of Course I Still Love You," stationed in the Pacific Ocean. This took place around nine minutes after the rocket's launch
Just recently, last May 6, SpaceX launched over 53 new Starlink internet satellites into low-orbit space once more. This marked the 12th mission for SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, tying the record previously held by the company.
When it launched off Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday at 5:42 a.m. EDT, the two-stage Falcon 9 rocket was topped with 53 of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites. Since the beginning, SpaceX has touted the fact that the Falcon 9 is a reusable rocket.
This launch will tie the record for the number of times a Falcon 9 core has been reused, which was previously held by a different Falcon 9 core in December.
SpaceX has successfully launched almost 2,500 Starlink satellites, and a huge portion of those have recently occurred in the past few months.
In 2022, 11 of the company's total 18 spaceflights have been dedicated to Starlink missions. And this isn't going to change soon. SpaceX is planning to launch another batch of Starlink satellites from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Saturday, May 14. The next generation of the constellation might possibly include as many as 30,000 satellites.
Read Also: NASA Raises Issues Over SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's Plans of Sending 30,000 Starlink Satellites
SpaceX's Internet Satellites
SpaceX's mission, besides flying men and women to space and Mars, is also providing humanity with interconnectedness through the use of extremely fast and reliable internet sources. With that primary mission in mind, Starlink was born.
Since it emerged from beta testing around the end of 2021, SpaceX has been making consistent progress toward expanding the Starlink service. This expansion work is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. As of September 2021, it was offering its products and services to customers in multiple countries around the world.
Just recently, SpaceX announced that Starlink's internet satellites will be available to 35 countries. Additionally, the newly updated Starlink website also includes the countries wherein they will be coming soon.
For now, Starlink continues to be available in limited regions of the world. However, SpaceX is working heavily to change that narrative.
As reported here, the subscription to Starlink's internet service has increased in the past few months. The one-time dish fee increased from $499 to $549, while the monthly service charge climbed from $99 to $110. For those who want to rewatch the SpaceX launch, you can click the video below.
