Just 5 days after becoming the first commercial outfit to carry humans into space, SpaceX has successfully deployed 60 Starlink satellites into low-earth orbit.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/N0INm0pPAb
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 4, 2020
The company launched its second Falcon 9 rocket on Wednesday at 2125 hrs EDT from Florida, the same place SpaceX launched Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley to the ISS aboard Crew Dragon. Though this flight included no passengers, the 60 satellites will join the 420 already in orbit, as part of the Starlink Constellation. The constellation will eventually aim to provide reliable, high speed internet, particularly to presently underserved areas.
Always incredible!🤩🤩 @SpaceX 👏👏 https://t.co/eEZN3T7QAP
— Maye Musk (@mayemusk) June 4, 2020
Further, one of the 60 satellites have been fitted with an experimental “visor-system” tasked with blocking sun rays from reflecting off communication antenna surfaces, reducing sunlight being reflected off satellites, back to Earth. If successful, SpaceX will begin considering its operational implementation on future satellites.
On this mission, we are launching the first Starlink satellite with a deployable visor to block sunlight from hitting the brightest spots of the spacecraft. Learn more about our work with leading astronomical groups to mitigate satellite reflectivity → https://t.co/xVuXVlEb8S
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 4, 2020
The Falcon 9 rocket which carried the satellites into space crossed its own milestone in becoming the first ever orbital class rocket booster to successfully launch and land five times. The landmark comes exactly ten years after the first Falcon 9 launch.