The promising Starlink satellites are currently in their early-stage development to pursue a greater production of the world's fastest and widescale communication signals. Today (December 18), SpaceX is expected to launch Starlink's second batch of satellites to orbit. The flight will be conducted early in the morning at 4 a.m. EST from the west coast.
Starlink Satellite Launch This Saturday
SpaceX will launch the new Starlink satellites this morning aboard the company's very own Falcon 9 rockets. The flight is expected to begin at 4:24 AM EST in California's Vanderberg Space Force Station.
From the Space Launch Complex 4E, 52 Starlink satellites will be sent to space. The SpaceX launch that will commerce this Saturday will be the 28th flight of the year for the firm's successful Falcon 9 rocket. The record exceeded SpaceX's performance last 2020, which included 26 Falcon-led flights.
The Starlink satellite deployment this Saturday can help the space agency's record to reach a total of 30 flights in 2021 if the launch goes according to plan. After the December 18 flight, SpaceX will launch at least two more rockets from Florida before the year ends.
Today's launch is part of the most ambitious efforts that SpaceX has conducted in terms of communication technologies. Starlink's latest satellite batches will be joining the initial cluster to serve greater regions of the planet with an outstanding data speed and connectivity of the internet. According to a report by Space, the satellites are equipped with a specialized laser link that will allow each of them to relay information without delay and minimize the reliance on ground-based infrastructures.
Starlink promises a kind of internet access that surpasses that standard connections in the present time. According to the experts behind Starlink, the satellites will help communities get ahold of convenient and reliable internet connectivity, especially those in secluded regions and are untapped by modernization. Part of the reason the company leaped into the communication industry is that the revenue raised from the service they will provide will somehow fuel the future deep-space ventures of SpaceX.
SpaceX Milestones on Today's Flight
Starlink's satellite launch will hit several milestones for the company this year. SpaceX offers internet connectivity in higher altitudes, a region where several satellites are available in the nearest orbit.
In addition, Saturday's flight will be the 11th time that SpaceX successfully deploys its modern, eco-friendly boosters. The first launch of these boosters began back in 2015, where the experts could recover the part for future use. Years of development improved the reusability of the boosters alongside other SpaceX vessels.
One out of the two boosters of the Saturday flight has successfully launched and returned 10 times from orbit. Both boosters are the oldest mechanisms that were previously used since their first release. Elon Musk believes that after a 10th successful launch, boosters need a corresponding tweak for maintenance. This time, the company will attempt to exceed the cap and go for an 11th flight. Upon completion, the boosters will be recovered by the drone ship named "Of Course I Still Love You."
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