SpaceX successfully launched its first space mission of 2022 this morning, carrying a new batch of Internet satellites into orbit.
The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the new batch of Starlink satellites into orbit.
A total of 49 Starlink satellites were placed on top of the Falcon 9 rocket, which took off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA, at 4:49 PM local time on January 6, or 4:46 AM on January 7 in Hanoi time.
About 9 minutes after launch, the first stage of the rocket – designated B1062 – successfully separated and landed softly on a new drone ship named A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean, marking SpaceX’s first successful launch and recovery of a rocket in the new year.
49 satellites successfully deployed after approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes post-launch.
In a recent announcement, Elon Musk’s company confirmed that the 49 satellites were successfully deployed about 1 hour and 20 minutes after launch, bringing the total number of Starlink satellites in orbit to nearly 2,000.
SpaceX aims to provide global broadband satellite Internet service, especially in rural and remote areas where connectivity is scarce. Currently, the service is fully operational and available in 20 countries with over 100,000 subscribers.
As for the B1062 booster, this was its fourth flight. The vehicle was first used on November 5, 2021, for the launch of the GPS III global positioning satellite for the U.S. Air Force, followed by flights on June 17, 2021, September 16, 2021, and January 7, 2021, respectively carrying GPS satellites, a Dragon spacecraft, and Starlink satellites into orbit.
