SpaceX has successfully completed a dual-coast spaceflight doubleheader with two Starlink missions. The first launch took place on the West Coast from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, deploying 51 Starlink satellites into orbit. The second mission was launched from the East Coast from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying another 51 satellites. The two-pronged launch is part of SpaceX’s ongoing efforts to build out its Starlink broadband internet service, which currently has over 1,500 active satellites in low Earth orbit.
The first launch was carried out on Sunday, September 13th at 8:55 p.m. PDT (11:55 p.m. EDT; 0355 GMT on Sept. 14) by a Falcon 9 rocket dubbed “B1049”. This was the 10th flight for this particular booster, marking a new reusability record for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 first stages. The Falcon 9 booster successfully landed on the SpaceX drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean, marking the 90th successful booster recovery for SpaceX.
The second launch occurred on Monday, September 14th at 3:55 p.m. EDT (1955 GMT) by a different Falcon 9 rocket. The booster, known as “B1060”, was on its fourth flight. After successfully deploying the batch of Starlink satellites, the booster returned to Earth and made a successful landing on the drone ship “Just Read the Instructions” in the Atlantic Ocean.
These dual launches from SpaceX are indicative of the company’s aggressive approach to building out its Starlink broadband internet service. SpaceX has been launching Starlink satellites in batches of 60 at a time since May 2019. However, the company has recently started launching smaller groups of 51 satellites from the West Coast. This is to help fill a gap in coverage in higher latitude areas such as Alaska and northern Canada.
SpaceX’s Starlink service is currently in beta testing in several countries including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The company plans to expand the service globally by the end of the year. SpaceX has already received preorders for the service from more than half a million customers, according to CEO Elon Musk.
SpaceX has also been working on improvements to its Starlink satellites to reduce their impact on astronomy. The company has been adding “sunshades” to its satellites to reduce their brightness, following concerns from astronomers that the satellites were too bright and were interfering with observations. SpaceX has also been working with astronomers and other stakeholders to mitigate the impact of its satellites on astronomy.
In conclusion, this successful dual-coast launch marks another significant milestone for SpaceX in its ongoing efforts to build out its Starlink broadband internet service. With the launch of smaller groups of satellites from the West Coast to fill in coverage gaps, and the ongoing improvements to reduce the satellites’ impact on astronomy, SpaceX continues to demonstrate its commitment to making its Starlink service a global reality.
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