SpaceX launched the Falcon 9 rocket with a new fleet of communications satellites

The SpaceX company launched this Saturday from Cape Canaveral, in central Florida, a Falcon 9 rocket to carry a new fleet of Starlink communications satellites into space, thus completing its 25th mission of this type in 2021.

At 7.19 local time (12.19 GMT) EST, Falcon 9 lifted off with 53 Starlink satellites aboard from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Minutes later, the booster rocket, the reusable part, returned to Earth and landed on a floating platform called “Just Read the Instructions.”

This operation allows SpaceX to reuse the most expensive parts of the rocket, which in turn reduces the cost of access to space.

SpaceX capsule coming from the Space Station with four astronauts lands off Florida

This Saturday was the ninth launch and landing of this Falcon 9 booster, which previously launched the ANASIS-11, CRS-21, Transporter-1, five Starlink missions and the Crew Demo-2, the first manned orbital space trip. from US soil since 2011 and conducted in the spring of 2020.

With this latest mission, SpaceX said they have put 1,844 Starlink satellites into orbit, which seeks to offer a global satellite internet service.

Historic SpaceX Launch Kicks Off Civilian Space Travel

The company explains that while most satellite internet services come from satellites that orbit about 35,000 kilometers, the Starlink swarm is much closer to Earth, at about 550 kilometers, allowing it to reduce the time it takes. the data go back and forth between the user and the satellite. (I)