Elon Musk's SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket with first 2 Starlink broadband internet satellites

  • Mohak Gupta
  • New Delhi
  • February 23, 2018
  • UPDATED 23:43 IST
Elon Musk's SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket with first 2 Starlink broadband internet satellites
Photo from SpaceX: SpaceX launches Falcon 9 with first broadband internet satellites
Elon Musk and his SpaceX launched its huge and new Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time on February 6. Musk even inserted a red Tesla Roadster car into the Mars orbit, which was tied to the most powerful US rocket. SpaceX has

Elon Musk and his SpaceX launched its huge and new Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time on February 6.

Musk even inserted a red Tesla Roadster car into the Mars orbit, which was tied to the most powerful US rocket.

SpaceX has completed another launch of its Falcon 9 rocket. It launched the first two Starlink internet satellites into space. These satellites are part of Elon Musk's plan to bring gigabit broadband to the world, in particular to those in less developed areas.

The two prototype satellites were successfully deployed in orbit.

"First two Starlink demo satellites, called Tintin A & B, deployed and communicating to Earth stations," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted.

A used Falcon 9 rocket blasted off on Thursday from Space Launch Complex 4E at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Falcon 9 and PAZ are vertical on Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The satellites are the size of a car and weigh about 390 kg each. The prototype satellites were launched from the Falcon 9 rocket on Thursday, after the rocket's launch had been delayed a number of times due to poor weather conditions.

"Today's Falcon launch carries 2 SpaceX test satellites for global broadband," Musk wrote on Twitter. "If successful, Starlink constellation will serve least served."

RADAR-IMAGING SATELLITE PAZ

The launch's primary mission is to deliver PAZ which is a radar-imaging satellite, into orbit for the Spain-based company Hisdesat.

Successful deployment of PAZ satellite to low-Earth orbit confirmed.
- California-based company Hisdesat confirmed

According to the description of the mission, the satellites are equipped with an advanced radar instrument PAZ which will cover the entire globe in 24 hours.

The coverage will cater both commercial and government needs.

PAZ will orbit Earth 15 times per day. The orbiting will cover an area of over 300,000 sq km from an altitude of 514 km and a velocity of seven km per second.

SpaceX's PAZ mission.

However, PAZ was not riding alone on the recycled Falcon 9. Quietly on board were SpaceX's two experimental broadband satellites as well -- Microsat-2a and Microsat-2b -- a big first step in SpaceX's long-term plan to create satellite internet over the next decade.

STARLINK SATELLITES

Elon Musk has been working on the secretive plans for a number of years now.

The satellites, Tintin A and Tintin B, are testing the broadband service and, according to Musk, the satellites will "attempt to beam 'hello world,'" as they pass near Los Angeles on Friday morning.

According to the open files between SpaceX and the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in the years to come, the private US space firm hopes to create a giant constellation of about 12,000 of interlinked broadband-internet satellites that will orbit in a synchronised dance above the Earth.

The constellation of these interlinked broadband-internet satellites will deliver broadband access anywhere in the world. And just so that it amuses you, 4G speeds in India are the slowest so Musk's global broadband plan can be a sigh of relief for Indians, and so many others around the world who are struggling to get their internet working.

FALCON 9, STARLINK AND SATELLITES ORBITING EARTH

Some 4,425 satellites will sit at low earth orbit (LEO), an estimate of 1,150 to 1,325 km above the Earth, while another 7,518 satellites will be launched into very-low-earth orbits (VLEO), some 335 to 346 km above Earth.

Successful deployment of PAZ satellite to low-Earth orbit confirmed..

According to a tally by the Union of Concerned Scientists, there are 1,738 satellites currently orbiting Earth.

Earlier this month, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai gave his endorsement to SpaceX's application to operate two huge constellations of broadband satellites.

Falcon 9's first stage for the mission previously supported the FORMOSAT-5 mission from SLC-4E in August 2017. SpaceX didn't attempt to recover Falcon 9's first stage after Thursday's launch, because it "was an older version booster".

SpaceX's PAZ mission.

However, there is another heightened interest in this launch.

By using "Mr Steven" which is a large navigable platform ship with extended arms and a net strung between them, SpaceX was trying to catch at least one of the two payload fairings that enclose the satellite at the top of the rocket.

These fairings were separated from the rocket at about three minutes after launch.

The value of these fairings is about $6 million (Rs 30 crore approximately), and recovering and reusing them would save money for SpaceX.

Currently, a typical Falcon 9 launch costs around $62 million (Rs 400 crore approximately).

Apart from the serious and futuristic business, Musk had a couple of jokes in his bag which he shared on Twitter.

"Don't tell anyone, but the Wi-Fi password is 'martians,'" Musk joked then tweeted saying "That was a DM, right?"


Elon Musk's plan to bring gigabit broadband to the world is nonetheless a great plan which should tread the path of success to benefit several people around the world.

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