SpaceX achieved a noteworthy landmark Thursday morning, commemorating the 130th liftoff of its Falcon 9 rocket.
The Falcon 9, which propelled 28 Starlink satellites, ascended at 5:57 a.m. EDT Thursday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and released the satellites into a low orbit around Earth approximately 64 minutes following its departure from the planet.
It signified the Falcon 9’s 130th mission this year, just shy of its annual record for 2024 by a mere two.
The rocket’s initial stage made its way back to Earth a little under nine minutes after launch, touching down as anticipated on SpaceX’s autonomous vessel Just Read The Instructions, stationed in the Atlantic.
The rocket booster, identified as B1095, affixed to the Falcon 9, transported the 28 satellite units to broaden global Internet connectivity for the companies under Elon Musk’s ownership, marking this booster’s third launch and successful landing.
This year, in excess of 70% of Falcon 9 launches have facilitated the expansion of the Starlink constellation, which currently comprises close to 8,600 functioning satellites.
On Wednesday, Musk’s SpaceX also dispatched an additional 21 satellites to orbit from its California installation for the Space Development Agency of the U.S. military.
Sourse: www.upi.com
