SpaceX has achieved a significant milestone with the successful launch of its Starlink internet satellites on December 4. A Falcon 9 rocket launched 20 Starlink spacecraft from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base at 10:05 p.m. EST, deploying them in low Earth orbit about 61 minutes later as planned.
The launch marks the completion of the first shell of a specialized network that enables direct-to-cell phone connectivity in remote areas. Thirteen newly launched satellites can beam service directly to other satellites, rounding out this initial constellation.
According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the direct-to-cell satellite constellation is now complete, providing internet connectivity for unmodified cellphones in remote regions with limited bandwidth. Future constellations will offer much more capability, despite the current 10Mb per beam.
The Falcon 9’s first stage successfully returned to Earth about eight minutes after liftoff, landing on the SpaceX droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean. This was the 12th launch and landing for this particular booster, with half of those missions being Starlink flights.
This latest launch brings SpaceX’s total number of Starlink missions to over 80 so far in 2024. The company’s growing Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation currently consists of 6,799 operational spacecraft, with about 330 direct-to-cell capable satellites.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-20-starlink-satellites-to-orbit-from-california