What: SpaceX launched a new batch of 60 Starlink satellites into low earth orbit.
The launch is part of its program to build a global high-speed internet network.
How: The satellites, which were launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, deployed at an altitude of 280 km just over an hour after launch.
After stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage landed on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. The launch follows an earlier successful one in May 2019.
So what: The program is intended to provide connectivity to consumers in rural and hard-to-reach areas. People in such regions often lack reliable connection or, to the extent it is available, it comes at a high cost.
The company plans to launch nearly 12,000 Starlink satellites to form two constellations in low earth orbit.
SpaceX expects to be able to provide internet service across North America in 2020. It hopes to expand across the world and reach “near-global coverage” in 2021.
If you’re curious how and when to spot the satellites in the night sky, check out this guide to possible sightings.
Watch the launch and the landing here
