In order to create a high-speed internet network on a global scale, the SpaceX company, owned by Elon Musk, has sent 58 satellites into space as part of its Starlink project, where in addition three additional satellites of the company were incorporated for the SkySats ground observation, a launch that was carried out in the State of Florida, specifically at Cape Canaveral Air Force Base.
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Being part of a whole
This is not an isolated mission, but it is number 11 of the Starlink project and the sixth time that the main part of the Falcon 9, the reusable rocket, is used, where thanks to the propellant located at the tip of it, it was possible to put into orbit these satellites, of which, first, those of Planet were put into orbit and later those of Starlink, after a brief stopover at the “Of Course I Still Love You” platform, also owned by SpaceX.
Adding drives to the network
A large number of satellites have already been sent into space to form these information networks. SkySats already had 18 units whose function is to obtain high definition images of the earth. For its part, Starlink has more than 600 orbiting satellites, the previous launch being in the month of August with a similar number, 57. The creation and establishment of this network aims to provide a fast internet connection to isolated places with little access, in the same way as to planes and boats.
A company with a long history
SpaceX has already gained a reputation with the success of previous missions such as Demo-2, which was carried out by the Dragon Endeavor capsule, successfully fulfilling the round trip transfer of two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. (EEI). The capsule returned to Earth on August 2 after a 19-hour return from the ISS. In this way, SpaceX’s ability to carry out commercial trips to space was demonstrated.
SpaceX doesn’t stop here
The first operational trip of the Dragon Crew capsule is already planned, this time with four crew members, with SpaceX marking a milestone in aerospace history with the completion of these successful missions; with such confidence from NASA that in 2014 together with Boeing, it was awarded a US $ 6.8 billion contract for the management of space transportation programs that would allow it to stop depending on the Russian spacecraft Shoguz. Additionally, Elon Musk reported that between 400 and 800 satellites are necessary for the minimum coverage of the high-speed internet network, so Starlink does not stop here.
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Image of SpaceX-Imagery via pixabay.com under creative commons license.
