On Saturday, August 26 at 9:05 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 launched 22 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Following stage separation, the first stage landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
What is Starlink program by SpaceX?
The goal of SpaceX’s Starlink project is to use a constellation of thousands of satellites to deliver high-speed internet connectivity to any location on Earth. Elon Musk established SpaceX. The satellites orbit the Earth at a low height of roughly 550 kilometers and are launched in groups of 60. In particular, Starlink wants to provide internet access that is quicker, more affordable, and more dependable than currently available options in rural and distant locations where connectivity is scarce or nonexistent.
How does Starlink work?
In contrast to conventional satellite internet, which relies on a single geostationary satellite orbiting at around 35,000 km above the planet, Starlink satellites travel much closer to the surface, at about 550 km, lowering latency and boosting connection bandwidth. Four phased array antennas and two parabolic antennas are used on each satellite to boost capacity.
Starlink launch history
The launch that took place tonight extended SpaceX’s record for a calendar year with its 63rd launch of 2023. The prior record, 61, was established in 2022.