On Monday night, August 7, SpaceX launched an additional 15 Starlink internet satellites, and the public had the opportunity to witness the event live. As per local news outlet NBC Los Angeles, residents in Southern California were able to see the SpaceX rocket take off from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Falcon 9 Sends 15 Starlinks to Low Earth Orbit
The Falcon 9 rocket carrying 15 Starlink satellites liftoff at 11:57 p.m. EDT (8:57 p.m. local California time and 0357 GMT on Aug. 8), Space.com reported. The public watched the launch live either on the news outlet's website via SpaceX's courtesy or directly from the company's official YouTube channel. Coverage commenced around five minutes before liftoff.
The Falcon 9's first stage safely returned and landed on SpaceX's drone ship, "Of Course I Still Love You," approximately 9.5 minutes after liftoff, as per SpaceX's update on Twitter. Impressively, this marks the fifth launch and landing for this particular booster, as disclosed by a SpaceX mission overview.
Simultaneously, the Falcon 9's upper stage will continue its journey, transporting the 15 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. These satellites are projected to be deployed around 14.5 minutes following liftoff.
This marks the second consecutive day of Starlink launches for SpaceX. The previous night, August 6, Space Flight Now reports that a Falcon 9 successfully carried 22 of these satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida.
Following its departure from Space Launch Complex 40, the Falcon 9 rocket took a southeastern trajectory, with its aim set on an orbit inclined at 43 degrees relative to the equator.
Around two and a half minutes into the journey, the booster 1078 detached from the second stage and began its descent towards the drone ship named "A Shortfall of Gravitas." Positioned in the Atlantic east of the Bahamas, the drone ship awaited the booster's landing.
How Many Starlink Sattelites Are There Now?
SpaceX aims to achieve a significant increase in rocket launches in 2023, targeting a total of 100 launches, surpassing their 2022 performance. As per Space Explored, this ambitious goal translates to an average launch frequency of approximately every three to four days. The question remains whether SpaceX can accomplish this feat.
Up to the present, SpaceX has executed 54 rocket launches in 2023, encompassing 50 Falcon 9 launches, three Falcon Heavy launches, and one Starship launch.
Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, who specializes in satellite tracking, reveals that SpaceX has deployed a cumulative total of 4,903 Starlink satellites into orbit. Notably, 4,530 of these satellites remain operational.
Moreover, SpaceX has plans for a total of five Falcon Heavy launches this year, marking the highest number of attempts ever for the company. Despite being surpassed by NASA's Space Launch System, which is now considered the dominant launcher, Falcon Heavy remains the most potent commercial rocket currently available, a status it holds until Starship becomes operational.
Its debut flight in 2018 showcased its capabilities by placing Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster in an orbit close to Mars' orbital path and the Sun. However, Falcon Heavy has had only five launches so far, with the most recent occurring in January 2023.
Nonetheless, SpaceX secured a notable 40% share of the Space Force's National Security Space Launch Phase 2 contract. The company initiated these missions using Falcon Heavy Rockets in late 2022.
An additional National Security Space Launch mission is scheduled for April, accompanied by three more launches throughout the year, involving Falcon Heavy rockets purchased commercially by ViaSat, EchoStar, and NASA.
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