https://www.space.com/spacex-starlin...h-success.html
SpaceX Launches 60 Starlink Satellites, Nails Rocket Landing in Record-Breaking Flight
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. —
SpaceX kicked off 2020 with the record-breaking launch of its third batch of
Starlink satellites. Sixty of the internet-beaming satellites launched atop a used Falcon 9 booster on Monday, Jan. 6.
The sooty
Falcon 9 rocket roared to life at 9:19 p.m. EST (0219 GMT Tuesday), lifting off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station here in Florida. Its nine Merlin 1D engines lit up the night sky above the space coast as it climbed towards orbit......
The satellites rode into space atop a reused Falcon 9 first stage, marking the second time the company has flown a booster four times. The star of this mission, dubbed B1049.4 by SpaceX, previously lofted the first batch of Starlink satellites as well as the
Iridium-8 and
Telstar 18 VANTAGE missions......
Following the successful launch, the rocket's first stage gently touched down on a SpaceX's drone ship landing platform "
Of Course I Still Love You" in the Atlantic Ocean, marking the company's 48th booster recovery. SpaceX designed its souped up Falcon 9 rocket to fly as many as 10 times with only light refurbishments in between. The company has yet to fly a booster five times, but with four successful flights under this booster's belt, it's likely that it could fly again in the future......
The launch is part of the private spaceflight company's plan to create a constellation of small broadband satellites, each weighing slightly more than 485 lbs. (220 kilograms), that will provide internet coverage to the world below. With this launch, it brings SpaceX's burgeoning constellation up to 180 satellites, making it the largest satellite fleet in orbit.....
One of SpaceX's fairing catcher boats,
GO Ms. Tree, attempted to catch a fairing half in its giant outstretched net Monday night, but failed to snag it, SpaceX officials said. “We didn't catch it this time. We got really close," SpaceX Starlink satellite engineer Laurel Lyons said during live commentary. "But we're going to keep on trying again."
Payload fairings (also known as the rocket's nose cone) are designed to protect the payload during launch. Each fairing is equipped with its own navigation system that allows it to glide gently back to Earth. The Falcon 9’s payload fairing come in two halves that are jettisoned once the rocket reaches space. With each piece fetching roughly $3 million, SpaceX hopes to save some money by reusing them on future flights. To date, GO Ms. Tree (the vessel formerly known as
Mr. Steven) has made two successful catches.
The company acquired a second vessel in order to eventually scoop up both fairing pieces. That ship, dubbed GO Ms. Chief, is sidelined tonight as crews work on necessary repairs due to damage sustained from its last mission.