{"id":12736,"date":"2020-01-07T22:21:02","date_gmt":"2020-01-07T14:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/spacex-launches-more-starlink-satellites-tests-design-change-for-astronomers\/"},"modified":"2020-01-07T22:21:02","modified_gmt":"2020-01-07T14:21:02","slug":"spacex-launches-more-starlink-satellites-tests-design-change-for-astronomers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/spacex-launches-more-starlink-satellites-tests-design-change-for-astronomers\/","title":{"rendered":"SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites, tests design change for astronomers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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SpaceX\u2019s Falcon 9 rocket streaks downrange to the northeast from Cape Canaveral Monday night with 60 Starlink satellites for the company\u2019s planned global Internet network. Credit: SpaceX<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sixty more satellites for SpaceX\u2019s Starlink global Internet network streaked into orbit Monday night from Cape Canaveral, including one spacecraft to test an experimental dark coating to address scientists\u2019 concerns that the thousands of the quarter-ton, flat-panel satellites will impede astronomical observations.<\/p>\n

The launch of 60 more spacecraft for the Starlink project, which SpaceX sees as a core business area in the coming years, makes the company the operator of the largest fleet of commercial satellites, surpassing the previous mark set by Planet, an operator of Earth-imaging nanosatellites.<\/p>\n

SpaceX wants to begin limited Internet service through the Starlink network later this year, then expand to global service to beam Internet signals to consumers in far-flung locales outside the reach of terrestrial wired broadband connections. Users on airplanes, ships and the U.S. military could also be Starlink customers.<\/p>\n

Blazing a similar trail to two previous Starlink satellite launches last year, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral at 9:19:21 p.m. EST Monday (0219:21 GMT Tuesday) and turned on a northeasterly heading over the Atlantic Ocean.<\/p>\n

Nine kerosene-fueled Merlin 1D engines on the base of the first stage powered the rocket off the launch pad with 1.7 million pounds of thrust.<\/p>\n

After two-and-a-half minutes, the nine main engines shut down and the first stage separated to begin descent maneuvers toward a landing on SpaceX\u2019s drone ship \u201cOf Course I Still Love You\u201d in the Atlantic Ocean.<\/p>\n

The first stage \u2014 flying for the fourth time on Monday night\u2019s mission \u2014 nailed its landing on the drone ship, marking the 48th time SpaceX has successfully landed a Falcon booster since the company\u2019s first rocket recovery in 2015. An attempt to catch one half of the Falcon 9\u2019s clamshell-like payload fairing in a net fastened to an ocean-going vessel was unsuccessful, SpaceX said.<\/p>\n

The Falcon 9\u2019s second stage ignited its Merlin engine two times to place the 60 Starlink satellites into an orbit with a target altitude of 180 miles (290 kilometers) and an inclination of 53 degrees to the equator. SpaceX confirmed the Falcon 9 injected the payloads close to the planned orbit.<\/p>\n

Retention rods holding the 60 flat-panel Starlink spacecraft to the Falcon 9 rocket released at 10:20 p.m. EST (0320 GMT) to allow separation of the satellites.<\/p>\n