SpaceX launched 22 of its Starlink web satellites towards orbit tonight (Aug. 31) and introduced the rocket again for a touchdown at sea.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink spacecraft lifted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral House Drive Station tonight at 10:21 p.m. EDT (0221 GMT on Sept. 1).
The Falcon 9’s first stage got here again to Earth as deliberate, touching down about 8.5 minutes after liftoff on the SpaceX drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas, which was stationed within the Atlantic Ocean.
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It was the seventh launch and touchdown for this explicit booster, in accordance with a SpaceX mission description. The corporate reuse document, by the way in which, is 16 flights, held by two completely different Falcon 9 first levels.
The Falcon 9’s higher stage saved on flying tonight. If all goes in accordance with plan, it can deploy the 22 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) about 65 minutes after liftoff.
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Tonight’s Starlink launch was presupposed to be the second half of a SpaceX doubleheader: One other Falcon 9 was scheduled to launch 13 satellites for the U.S. House Drive from Cape Canaveral this morning.
SpaceX scrubbed that deliberate launch, nonetheless, resulting from an undisclosed concern. The corporate is now focusing on Friday (Sept. 1) at 11:26 a.m. EDT (1526 GMT) for the House Drive liftoff. You may watch it right here at House.com when the time comes.
Editor’s be aware: This story was up to date at 10:48 p.m. EDT on Aug. 31 with information of profitable launch and rocket touchdown.
