LIFTING OFF SO THE WORLD CAN LOG ON
Mission aims to provide internet for planet
The SpaceX Falcon 9 launches Thursday from Kennedy Space Center. The goal of the Starlink 11 mission is to set up a constellation of satellites to provide affordable internet to the planet.
After multiple delays, SpaceX on Thursday morning launched its next batch of Starlink satellites, setting up a constellation of satellites to provide affordable internet to the entire planet.
Riding atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center’s launch complex 39A, about 60 of the 570-pound satellites lifted off on time at 8:46 a.m.
Then, about 8 minutes after takeoff, the rocket’s first-stage booster, which has flown once before, landed on SpaceX’s “Of Course I Still Love You” recovery drone ship to be used for future launches.
Later, about 15 minutes after launch, the load of satellites that had been packed into the rocket’s fairing were deployed and started to fan out, the view of the Earth behind them.
It’s the latest Starlink mission to take off from Cape Canaveral as part of SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s vision to set up blanket internet coverage for all of North America by the end of the year and “near global coverage” by 2021.
After Thursday’s successful launch, the number of Starlink satellites now orbiting the Earth is almost 700.
SpaceX has gotten approval from the Federal Communications Commission to operate as many as 12,000, and in a filing with the FCC said it plans to sell devices for the system to 5 million Americans.