SpaceX despatched 26 extra Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit on Tuesday (July 15), after a launch from southern California.
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 7:05 p.m. PDT native (10:05 p.m. EDT or 0205 GMT July 18), escaping the fog and cloud cowl blanketing House Launch Advanced 4 East at Vandenberg House Pressure Base.
The satellites (Group 15-2, in line with SpaceX’s web site) entered orbit about eight and a half minutes later and had been on monitor to be deployed after a second burn of the Falcon’s higher stage about an hour into the mission.
The rocket’s first stage, having flown to house and again, made a profitable touchdown on the droneship “Of Course I Nonetheless Love You” within the Pacific Ocean. The stage, referred to by SpaceX by its serial quantity, B1093, final flew in June on the third of what’s now its 4 whole Starlink flights.
Tuesday’s launch added to SpaceX’s megaconstellation, which numbers greater than 7,950 energetic Starlink satellites. The FCC (Federal Communications Fee) has permitted for SpaceX to launch a complete of 12,000 models, although the corporate seeks to launch upwards of 30,000 extra spacecraft.
