Avgeekery.com
  • Military
    • Fighter Aircraft
    • Military Transport
  • Commercial
    • Commercial News
    • Ancient Airlines
  • General Aviation
    • Airshows
    • Space
    • Experimental
    • Drones
    • Vintage
  • Join Our Team
Avgeekery.com
  • Military
    • Fighter Aircraft
    • Military Transport
  • Commercial
    • Commercial News
    • Ancient Airlines
  • General Aviation
    • Airshows
    • Space
    • Experimental
    • Drones
    • Vintage
  • Join Our Team
112K
0
4K
  • Commercial News
  • Space

SpaceX Launches 60 Internet-Relay Satellites into Orbit

  • January 6, 2020
  • No comments
  • 2 minute read
  • Charles Atkeison
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches into a new decade of spaceflight on Monday evening. (SpaceX)
Total
19
Shares
19
0
0

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A new decade of rocket launches began Monday evening as a SpaceX Falcon 9 thundered away from America’s Space Coast to place 60 internet-relay satellites into orbit.

This launch was confirmed as the first official rocket launch under the new U.S. Space Force.

SpaceX is in the midst of building and launching their own network of data and Internet spacecraft known as Starlink. The commercial company hopes to blanket the Earth with thousands of Starlink spacecraft located at about 350 miles above.

The Falcon 9 launched on time at 9:19 p.m. EST, from launch complex 40 at Cape Canaveral AFS. This was the fourth mission for this reusable Falcon first stage.

Riding a top a 300-foot golden flame into the clear night, Falcon’s nine Merlin 1D engines pushed the candle stick rocket skyward. Just over two minutes after launch, the main stage separated, fired it’s thrusters, and began its short journey back to Earth.

Meanwhile, the second stage’s engines continued the payload’s journey to low Earth orbit.

Nearly nine minutes following launch, the Falcon’s first stage booster completed a successful pin-point return. The burnt candle stick touched down on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean a few hundred miles off the South Carolina coast.

SpaceX batch of 60 Starlink internet relay spacecraft prior to deployment. (SpaceX)

Sixty-one minutes into the mission, the 60 flat-panel satellites were successfully deployed. Each Starlink weighs 260 Kg and features four array antennas and one large solar array.

“After deployment, over the course of one to four months, the satellites use their on board thrusters to raise from an altitude of 290 km to 550 km,” SpaceX Spokesperson James Gleeson said. “During this phase of flight the satellites are closely clustered and their solar arrays are in a special low-drag configuration, making them appear more visible from the ground.”

SpaceX expects to launch two more Starlink batches of sixty during the next month. That will bring the combined total of Starlink spacecraft to 300.

(Charles A. Atkeison reports on aerospace and technology. Follow his updates via social media @Military_Flight.)

Total
19
Shares
Share 19
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Charles Atkeison
Charles Atkeison

Charles A Atkeison is a long time aerospace journalist having covered both military and civilian aviation, plus 30 space shuttle launches from Cape Canaveral. He has produced multimedia aerospace content for CNN, London's Sky News, radio, print, and the web for twenty years. From flying with his father, a pilot, at age 5 to soaring as a VIP recently with the Navy's Blue Angels and USAF Thunderbirds, Charles continues to enjoy all aspects of flight. Charles regularly shares his content with Avgeekery.

Related Topics
  • Cape Canaveral AFS
  • Falcon 9
  • SpaceX
  • Starlink
You May Also Like
View Post
  • Space

NASA’s Martian Helicopter ‘Ingenuity’ Nears First Flight

  • Charles Atkeison
  • March 3, 2021
View Post
  • Commercial News

United Grounds 777 Subfleet After Engine Failure

  • Avgeekery
  • February 21, 2021
View Post
  • Airliners
  • Commercial News

United 777 Pilots Calmly Landed Jet After Catastrophic Engine Failure

  • Avgeekery
  • February 20, 2021
View Post
  • Space

Determined Engineer Showed NASA How to Land on the Moon

  • Charles Atkeison
  • February 12, 2021
View Post
  • Ancient Airlines

Ancient Airlines: The Top Banana In The West

  • Avgeekery
  • January 30, 2021
View Post
  • Commercial News

What’s Up With a Winglet

  • Chris Turner
  • January 26, 2021
View Post
  • Commercial News

Eastern Airlines Shut Down 30 Years Ago Today

  • Avgeekery
  • January 18, 2021
View Post
  • Airliners
  • Commercial News

Pilot Report: My 737 MAX Simulator Ride

  • Rob Graves
  • January 16, 2021
Follow us on Instagram
avatar
avgeekery
Avgeekery
4K Followers
Short, stubby, and more modern looking.  The 'new-ish' United colors look pretty good on an Airbus A320 but make it look shorter.  What do you think? 66 4
No gear necessary where we’re going.  Can you name the plane? #avgeek #avgeekery #aviationdaily #avporn #instagramaviation #pilot #instaaviation #planespotting #aviators #instaplane #boeing #airbus #aviator #pilotlife #megaplane #airplanes #avgeeks #planes #airport #avnerd #airline #flying #aviation_lovers #flight #aviationlife #avgeek #airplanelovers #aviationlovers #airlines #aviationphotography #planelovers 110 9
Who is going flying this weekend?  Tell us where you’re headed.  #avgeekery #cirrus #sr22 #avgeek #privatepilot #atp #pilotlife #100dollarhamburger 51 0
Delta Air Lines A220-300 arrives at Austin Bergstrom International Airport after a flight from Atlanta.  While they are no Mad Dog, the 2-3 seating, modern cabin, and full size window in the bathroom make it pretty unique.  #a220 #airbusa220300 @delta #KAUS #austinspotters #avgeek #avgeekery @instaaviation @combat_learjet @instagramaviation 66 1
Follow
Avgeekery.com
  • Military
  • Commercial
  • General Aviation
  • Join Our Team
Avgeeks sharing our love of aviation.
Short, stubby, and more modern looking.  The 'new-ish' United colors look pretty good on an Airbus A320 but make it look shorter.  What do you think? 66 4
No gear necessary where we’re going.  Can you name the plane? #avgeek #avgeekery #aviationdaily #avporn #instagramaviation #pilot #instaaviation #planespotting #aviators #instaplane #boeing #airbus #aviator #pilotlife #megaplane #airplanes #avgeeks #planes #airport #avnerd #airline #flying #aviation_lovers #flight #aviationlife #avgeek #airplanelovers #aviationlovers #airlines #aviationphotography #planelovers 110 9
Who is going flying this weekend?  Tell us where you’re headed.  #avgeekery #cirrus #sr22 #avgeek #privatepilot #atp #pilotlife #100dollarhamburger 51 0
Delta Air Lines A220-300 arrives at Austin Bergstrom International Airport after a flight from Atlanta.  While they are no Mad Dog, the 2-3 seating, modern cabin, and full size window in the bathroom make it pretty unique.  #a220 #airbusa220300 @delta #KAUS #austinspotters #avgeek #avgeekery @instaaviation @combat_learjet @instagramaviation 66 1
Something special in the air. An @americanair Boeing 737 departs Austin Bergstrom International bound for DFW.  The 35 minute flight is just enough time to get to 24,000 feet before they descend back down.  Pilots check in with Fort Worth center, grab the latest weather, flick the seat belt sign off, put it back on then head back down.  #avgeek #avgeekery #boeing #boeing737 #737ng #americanairlines #kaus #austinbergstrom @aircrewlife @aastews  #instaaviation 89 0
Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 turning off Runway 35R at Austin Bergstrom International Airport.  This photo was taken from the new observation area.  It's a great place to spot airplanes in the morning.  The setting sun makes photography a bit more challenging.  #KAUS #austinbergstromairport #avgeek #avgeekery @southwestair @ausairport @austinspotter @ausspotting @instaaviation @combat_learjet @swaramprat #boeing737 #winglets #pilotlife #crewlife #ausspotters #atxspotters 83 1

Input your search keywords and press Enter.