SpaceX just successfully launched their 9th installation for the Starlink Constellation. The latest batch of 58 satellites included 3 separate satellites as a rideshare customer. The Smallsat Rideshare Program is proving to be very helpful for many private space organizations. Elon Musk launched the Falcon-9 spacecraft today from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at around 5:20 A.M. EDT.
Successful deployment of 58 Starlink satellites confirmed
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 13, 2020
Instead of the normal delivery of 60 satellites, the company only sent 58 satellites for Starlink. This is mainly because of providing enough room for 3 remote sensing satellites of Planet. The 3 SkySats will join the other 15 already up there on space. These satellites are responsible for gathering HD quality space pics of our planet. However, each of these satellites is in the shape of washing-machines. This makes somewhat unnatural because normally satellites are pretty conventional in design.
Falcon 9 launches 58 Starlink satellites and 3 @planetlabs Skysats to orbit before returning to Earth and landing on a droneship pic.twitter.com/K6OjgJQZfv
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 13, 2020
SpaceX successfully launches all satellites and nails landing
The mission used a Falcon 9 booster that flew two cargo missions to the International Space Station for NASA, the last being CRS-20 in March. The rocket featured a previously flown payload fairing, with one half recovered from the Jcsat-18/Kacific-1 satellite mission in December, and the other from SpaceX’s third Starlink mission, which took place in January.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship pic.twitter.com/qv6aMiPGoq
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 13, 2020
SpaceX recovered the rocket’s first-stage for a third time, landing the booster on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Atlantic Ocean. The launch marks the beginning of the rideshare program SpaceX announced in August 2019, offering regular opportunities for smallsat operators to hitch rides on Starlink missions.
The company expects to start partial service over the U.S. and Canada late this year. Followed by global coverage in 2021. SpaceX updated its Starlink website on June 12 to allow prospective customers to sign up for news and service availability announcements.