SpaceX has finally got another batch of Starlink satellites in space.
The popular spacecraft manufacturer has recently announced it has successfully launched and landed its Falcon 9 rocket for the sixth time, placing numerous Starlink broadband satellites in orbit in the process.
This successful Falcon 9 rocket mission marks its 42nd launch for this year, according to Space Flight Now.
SpaceX Starlink Mission Success Details
SpaceX mentioned in its announcement that its much-delayed Falcon 9 rocket was able to launch on Sept. 18 at 8:18 pm from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
The company used the rocket to launch the company's latest Starlink mission, adding 54 satellites to the Starlink satellite constellation in Earth's low orbit.
Space.com also mentioned in its article that SpaceX had placed more than 3,200 Starlink satellites into orbit so far, though it is uncertain if this count includes the 54 satellites the Falcon 9 spacecraft added on Sept. 18 or not.
Interestingly, the launch was previously scheduled for the night of Sept. 13 but was delayed day after day due to weather conditions not being ideal when the rocket was about to launch.
On Tuesday and Wednesday night, lightning flashes prompted SpaceX to stop the rocket's launch, while the company stopped the rocket's launch 30 seconds before it was due to the weather remaining not ideal for launch on Thursday night.
Similar weather conditions on Thursday night also halted its Falcon 9 rocket launch, but this time, SpaceX stopped the countdown at around T-minus 60 seconds.
Although the company considered launching the rocket on Saturday night, it eventually moved the launch to Sept. 18 outright without trying to initiate the launch.
SpaceX's Mission In Space
The launch is part of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's plans to launch up to 100 SpaceX in 2023, partly due to his wish to improve Starlink services quickly so that users in remote areas of the world can enjoy high-speed broadband internet.
You may remember that SpaceX recently installed a user terminal on the National Science Foundation's McMurdo Station, a place in Antarctica that is home to over a thousand people.
Antarctica is the most remote continent in the world, and as such, being an internet service provider in Antarctica is an achievement in and of itself.
This feat was made possible by Starlink's new satellites, which are outfitted with "laser links" that allow them to send and receive data with each other in orbit.
Musk also made mention of this instrument on his official Twitter account, saying that "another batch with lasers reaches orbit."
SpaceX has been granted by the Federal Communications Commission the approval it needs to launch 12,000 satellites in Earth's low orbit, per a separate Space.com article, though the company didn't stop there. It also applied to the International Telecommunication Union to acquire its approval for it to launch another 30,000 Starlink satellites.
Related Article: Elon Musk's Starlink Internet is Now Available in Antarctica
