Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×
Space

SpaceX Launches 54 Upgraded Starlink Internet Satellites; Completes 60th Mission of the Year (space.com) 74

SpaceX launched the first batch of a new generation of Starlink satellites into orbit early Wednesday (Dec. 28) and nailed a rocket landing at sea to mark a record 60th flight of the year. From a report: A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 54 upgraded Starlink internet satellites -- the first generation 2 (Gen2) versions of the SpaceX fleet -- lit up the predawn sky with a smooth launch at 4:34 a.m. EST (0934 GMT) from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. "Under our new license, we are now able to deploy satellites to new orbits that will add even more capacity to the network," Jesse Anderson, a SpaceX production and engineering manager, said during live launch commentary. "Ultimately, this enables us to add more customers and provide faster service, particularly in areas that are currently oversubscribed."

About eight minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9 first stage returned to Earth with a landing on the SpaceX drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean, where rough recovery weather threatened to delay the launch. The touchdown marked a successful end to SpaceX's 60th launch of SpaceX in 2022, nearly doubling the 31 launches set as a SpaceX record in 2021. The Falcon 9 first stage on this mission made its 11th flight with Wednesday's launch. The booster previously flew five Starlink missions, launched two U.S. GPS satellites, the Nilesat 301 commercial satellite and carried two different private astronaut crews on the Inspiration4 and Ax-1 missions, SpaceX has said. The company will also attempt to recover the two payload fairing halves that made up the Falcon 9's nose cone, which had both flown before, for later reuse, Anderson said.

This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

SpaceX Launches 54 Upgraded Starlink Internet Satellites; Completes 60th Mission of the Year

Comments Filter:
  • by timeOday ( 582209 ) on Wednesday December 28, 2022 @12:49PM (#63163974)
    I'm pretty excited about the gen2 starlink supporting limited satellite service for normal LTE phones [extremetech.com], since for years I have carried a personal locator beacon when going out of cellphone range.
    • by ls671 ( 1122017 )

      I'd suggest you still carry your personal locator beacon especially if you still have a working one. A little redundancy can't hurt if you experience a bad event IMHO.

    • I'm pretty excited about the gen2 starlink supporting limited satellite service for normal LTE phones [extremetech.com], since for years I have carried a personal locator beacon when going out of cellphone range.

      It's 10G silly - Elon won put up with the inferior service mere human companies provide.

    • The best satellite phone doesn't save you if S&R are looking for your PLB instead. Thinking that just because you have phone coverage you shouldn't take the device that S&R primarily use would be incredibly stupid.

  • Didn't see in the article, do we know yet where the actual coverage will be added? I've been waiting for cells near me to appear on the starlink map
  • This is the first launch into the second CONSTELLATION of satellites, the hardware is the same so far.
  • Not content with polluting his own planet to dangerous levels, 21st century man resorts to polluting space as well.

    Next up: the moon.

FORTH IF HONK THEN

Working...