Meghana KandraSpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket on 29th June, at 5:04 p.m. EDT by sending Luxembourg SES-22 satellite to space. The rocket successfully landed, thus marking the 127th landing mark of the Falcon 9 rocket. It is identified as B1073-2 which used a booster that was launched for the second time. The booster landed on the autonomous drone ship named “A Shortfall of Gravitas”.
Image credits- DNA India
Furthermore, this is the company’s 103rd time reusing a booster. While the numbers may not seem unique, it does show the company’s progress. The reusing capabilities seem to go fine for the company. The satellite that was launched on Thursday is owned by SES, a Luxembourg-based satellite. It is a terrestrial telecommunications network provider that supplied data connection and video services in various countries.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/sHs0vUvzy3
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 29, 2022
The booster used in the launch was earlier used to deploy SpaceX Starlink satellites. At around 8-minutes after the lift-off, the booster landed on the autonomous drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The satellite was precisely deployed into geosynchronous transfer orbit after 33-minutes of liftoff. Thales Alenia Space built the satellite, which is designed to broadcast television and 5G service in the US. The services from these satellites are scheduled to start in August 2022. The company said in a press release, “It will deliver TV and radio to millions of American homes and provide other critical data transmission services. SES-22 is expected to start operations by early August 2022.”
Services by the satellite
Additionally, SES representatives also gave their statements. “The launch of SES-22 is part of a broader Federal Communications Commission (FCC) program to clear a portion of C-band spectrum to enable wireless operators to deploy 5G services across the contiguous US (CONUS). In response to a mandate from the FCC, satellite operators such as SES are required to transition their existing services from the lower 300 MHz to the upper 200 MHz of C-band spectrum to make room for 5G.”
Furthermore, stated, “To meet the FCC’s accelerated deadline of clearing C-band spectrum across the US by December 2023 while maintaining uninterrupted services, SES will launch five satellites – SES-18, SES-19, SES-20, SES-21, and SES-22 in 2022.” The SES booked five SpaceX Falon 9 rockers to launch the satellites from Cape Canaveral this year. Also booked one United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket.
CEO of SES, Steve Collar said, “We are thrilled with the successful launch of SES-22, thanks to our partners at Thales Alenia Space and SpaceX. The launch of SES-22, together with other upcoming C-band satellite launches scheduled this year, will enable us to continue providing the high-quality services that our customers have been accustomed to over the last several decades while freeing up the spectrum that will enable the US to rapidly unlock the promise of 5G.”