SpaceX Launches 5th Group of Starlink Satellites
SpaceX launched its fifth group of Starlink satellites into orbit on Wednesday, bringing the total number of the company's broadband internet satellites in space to nearly 300.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 11:56 p.m. EDT (0356 GMT on Thursday), carrying 60 more of the company's Starlink satellites. This marked the fifth launch of a batch of the satellites, and the first to be sent into space since April.
"We are thrilled to have launched our fifth group of Starlink satellites," said Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX. "This is the first launch since April, and it's a testament to the hard work of our team to make this mission a success."
Video by SpaceX: Starlink Mission Launch
SpaceX sent its fifth group of Starlink satellites into orbit on Wednesday night, bringing the total number of the company's broadband internet satellites in space to almost 300.
The Falcon 9 rocket took off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 11:56 p.m. EDT (0356 GMT on Thursday), carrying 60 more satellites. This marked the fifth launch of a batch of the satellites since April.
Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX, expressed her excitement about the launch, saying, "We are delighted to have launched our fifth set of Starlink satellites. This is the first mission since April, and it's a testament to the hard work of our team to make this mission a success."
Why it is important?
It is important because SpaceX's Starlink satellite constellation will provide global internet access to underserved and remote areas. This will bring the benefits of internet access to millions of people who do not currently have access to the internet, allowing them to stay connected, access educational opportunities, and participate in the global economy.
About Starlink
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation being constructed by SpaceX, a private American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company founded by Elon Musk. The goal of the project is to create a low latency, broadband internet system that can provide internet access to people in remote locations around the world. The constellation will consist of thousands of mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), working in combination with ground transceivers. The project was announced in 2015, with the first two test satellites launched in February 2018. As of December 2020, SpaceX has launched over 1,000 satellites as part of the project.
Elon Musk is an American entrepreneur, investor, and engineer who founded SpaceX and co-founded Tesla, Inc. He is the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, CEO and Product Architect of Tesla, Inc., and founder of The Boring Company. Musk has also envisioned a high-speed transportation system known as the Hyperloop, and has proposed a vertical take-off and landing supersonic jet electric aircraft with electric fan propulsion, known as the Musk electric jet. Musk has also been involved in several other projects, including SolarCity, OpenAI, and Neuralink.
