SpaceX Successfully Launches 46 Starlink Satellites in Double Launch within 6 Hours
SpaceX, Elon Musk’s aerospace company, successfully launched two sets of 23 Starlink internet satellites each in low-Earth orbit within six hours on Monday. The satellites were launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The first set of 23 satellites lifted off at 4:35am (India time) and the second set followed at 9:39am. Both launches were carried out using the company’s reusable Falcon 9 rocket.
“This was the 11th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission,” SpaceX mentioned in a statement. The first stage booster successfully landed on the drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean after 8.5 minutes of liftoff.
Following stage separation, the second set of Starlink satellites is set to land on the droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean. With over 5,000 Starlink satellites in orbit, SpaceX has approval to launch up to 12,000 satellites.
SpaceX has already conducted 22 orbital missions this year and plans to conduct 144 launches in 2024. The successful double launch of Starlink satellites marks another milestone for the company’s ambitious plans for global internet coverage.
