The Falcon 9 launch vehicle launched another batch of 23 mini-satellites to replenish the orbital grouping of the global Internet coverage network of the Starlink system.
SpaceX launched a new batch of Starlink satellites into orbit
It was the 19th launch of the Falcon 9 first stage, and the company set a new record for reusability.
As planned, the Falcon 9 first stage returned to Earth for the 19th time, landing about 8.5 minutes after launch on the crewless spacecraft in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida.
Meanwhile, the Falcon 9 booster continued to deliver 23 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. The spacecraft was supposed to be brought there approximately 65.5 minutes after launch.
SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk wants to help humanity colonize Mars and accomplish many other ambitious research feats. The reusability of rockets is a vital part of this vision, helping to lower the cost of spaceflight and increase its frequency.
Therefore, SpaceX's record for reuse is short-lived. The previous mark — 18 Falcon 9 launch vehicle flights — was set only last month.
So far, SpaceX has completed more than 90 orbital flights in 2023. Most of this was dedicated to creating the Starlink broadband mega-constellation, which currently consists of almost 5,200 satellites in operation.
The Ukrainian military uses Starlink
Recently, CNN published an excerpt from a book about Elon Musk, which discussed the disruption of the Ukrainian attack on the Russian fleet. The founder of SpaceX said that he allegedly secretly ordered the shutdown of Starlink over Crimea to prevent a strike on Russian ships, which were trying to strike Ukraine with the help of drones.
As detailed in the book, he feared that such actions would lead to the use of nuclear weapons. Musk later apologized for his actions.
The chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, confirmed that Starlink had not been operating near Crimea for some time. But he doubts that Elon Musk is directly involved in this.
