SpaceX adds 51 more Starlinks
May 11, 2023
By Chris Forrester
SpaceX successfully added another 51 of its Starlink broadband-by-satellite craft in a flawless launch on May 10th from the Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Following the launch, the Falcon 9 booster successfully landed on a floating barge, ‘Of Course I Still Love You’, ready for refurbishment and reuse. It was the third launch and landing for this particular booster.
The launch was the 28th Falcon 9 flight of the year. The new satellites will finally orbit at 570 kms above the ground.
SpaceX has already launched more than 4,300 satellites for Starlink, its broadband mega-constellation. But many more are expected to go up. The company has permission to deploy 12,000 Starlink spacecraft and has applied for approval to loft 30,000 more additionally.
In a Tweet, SpaceX revealed that with each launch of its 1st generation satellites, it adds over a Tb/s of capacity to the constellation; allowing SpaceX to continue improving coverage and connecting more people around the world with high-speed Internet from space.