Posted on 11/11/2019 8:05:47 AM PST by Moonman62
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX's plans to bring global internet coverage to the world just took another leap forward as its 9th Falcon 9 rocket flight of the year launched 60 new Starlink internet satellites into orbit Monday (Nov. 11).
The satellites rode into space atop a veteran Falcon 9 first stage, ending a nearly three-month launch hiatus for the company. The last time a SpaceX Falcon 9 took to the skies, was on Aug. 6, when the company’s flagship rocket carried the Israeli AMOS-17 communications satellite into space.
The sooty Falcon roared to life at 9:56 a.m. EST (1456 GMT), lifting off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station here in Florida, marking the fourth flight for this particular booster, and the first time a Falcon 9 has flown more than three times.
"The Falcon has landed for the fourth time," SpaceX Starlink engineer Lauren Lyons, said during launch commentary. "These boosters are designed to be used 10 times. Let's turn it around for a fifth, guys."
The launch occurred on Veterans Day, a U.S. holiday commemorating military veterans, and SpaceX dedicated the flight to service members. "Liftoff! With gratitude to our veterans today and always," a SpaceX commentator said. "Go, U.S.A.!"
(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...
I watched it on everydayastraunt streem. Indeed it was great
WHO HOO....!
This is so great!
So how do I get this world wide internet service?
We must keep fighting for a free and open internet so the world can be educated about the brilliance of individual liberty, property rights and capitalism.
China sweating, big-time.
FINALLY someone is doing something really, really American.
How sad it has 2b a South African.
Elon Musk is an American citizen.
Tucked inside the rocket’s nose cone were 60 Starlink satellites - the second batch (and first operational set) of SpaceXs broadband internet megaconstellation, which the company hopes will help provide affordable internet coverage to the world.
By operating at a lower altitude - approximately 341 miles or 550 km above the Earth - SpaceX hopes to cut down on this issue and provide reliable coverage at an affordable price.
Last month, Musk tweeted via Starlink for the first time. And with as few as six to eight more launches, the company says it could begin offering broadband service in the United States by mid-2020. “We still have a long way to go from tweets to 4K videos, but we are on our way,”
IRDM is the big loser. This is their first real competition.
Absolutely.
But there is profit involved.
Launching rockets is a poor business for making money.
However, building satellites and communications services are much more lucrative.
IRDM is the big loser. This is their first real competition.
...
IRDM is in a niche business and relied on SpaceX to launch their second generation network. And SpaceX benefited from the business. I don’t think there will be much competition between the two.
“The 60 satellites were successfully deployed a few minutes ago.”
Does anyone else have trepidation and a sense of imminent doom as we become mere observers to the construction of Skynet?
Oh, I'm sure the owners will do no worse than any James Bond film villain. Diamonds Are Forever, Moonraker.... No worries.
Get a satellite tracking app (Heavens Above is one) and be sure to watch them come over in the next few days. I saw them about 3 days after the last launch in May. It was really cool. They hadn’t spread out much yet...saw a cluster of 30-40 go over in a clump.
I have ZERO doubt that the prospect of easy, constant, encrypted commo for the US military was a yuuuuuge source of early funding for all this.
I mean it seems a common Marine with nothing more than an encrypted handset could call for evac, hire-support, etc., no fancy radios involved.
I think that’s why the license was upped from 7,000 to a mind-blowing 42,000 satellites.
Others here, though, know much more about this than me; I don’t really know.
Just an educated guess.
In another ten years NASA is going to look a complete joke competing with thr private sector
Probably right.
Maybe someone can chime in on what type of int’l collision-avoidance regime they are setting up..?
I cannot believe that other countries like Russia and especially CHINA will sit back and piggy-back on our system, right..?
They’ll try to steal all the concepts and nuts-and-bolts, and launch a similar number of birds; they will beggar every farmer to do it.
I mean, in a couple decades, how much stuff will be up there?
Under 100,000 sats..?
I richly doubt that.
Imminent doom....yes!!
We’re all gonna DIE and that is without question.
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