WATCH: SpaceX launches 48 new Starlink satellites successfully into orbit
Premium- SpaceX on Wednesday successfully launched 48 new Starlink satellites into orbit and the new batch of satellites was launched aboard a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket
SpaceX on Wednesday successfully launched 48 new Starlink satellites into orbit and the new batch of satellites was launched aboard a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 8.45 a.m., the company said. SpaceX Founder Elon Musk shared on Twitter, "another 48 Starlinks just reached orbit." While SpaceX’s launch director during the live stream of the launch, said, "time to let the American broomstick fly and hear the sounds of freedom." This was in reference to the Russian space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin, who had last week said “let them fly on something else, their broomsticks," after Russia halted sales of its rocket engines to US launch providers due to economic sanctions following that country’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Meanwhile, just last week, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine will get more Starlink systems next week. "Talked to @elonmusk. I'm grateful to him for supporting Ukraine with words and deeds. Next week we will receive another batch of Starlink systems for destroyed cities. Discussed possible space projects. But I'll talk about this after the war," Zelenskyy said on Twitter.
Earlier Musk had said that Starlink, a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX, was the only non-Russian communications system still working in some parts of Ukraine.
Earlier this month, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against the Kiev forces. Russia said that the aim of its special operation is to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine and that only military infrastructure is being targeted. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it has no plans to occupy Ukraine. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the goal is to protect the people of Donbas, "who have been subjected to abuse, genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years."
In response to Russia's operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, which includes airspace closures and restrictive measures targeting Russian officials, media, and financial institutions.
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(With inputs from agencies)
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