Poor weather conditions has postponed SpaceX’s tenth launch of Starlink satellites into orbit for the second time.
The firm aborted the mission about 15 minutes before the Falcon 9 was set to take off from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Wednesday’s launch was set to take 57 internet-beaming devices into space, each sporting a new innovation – a VisorSat.
The feature is SpaceX’s solution to complaints that Starlinks are flooding the night sky with excessive light and blocking astronomers from making new discoveries.
Along with SpaceX’s tenth batch of satellites, the Falon 9 was also set to carry two Earth observation satellites.
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Poor weather conditions has postponed SpaceX’s tenth launch of Starlink satellites into orbit for the second time.SpaceX was set to launch its tenth batch on June 26 (pictured), but isolated storms ripped through the area around Kennedy Space Center
SpaceX was set to launch its tenth batch on June 26, but isolated storms ripped through the area around Kennedy Space Center, forcing the Falcon 9 to stay grounded.
And it seems Mother Nature is just not on its side.
The Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron released a forecast prior to launch, showing a 40 percent chance of thick clouds and potential lightning.
‘Standing down from today’s mission due to weather; proceeding through the countdown until T-1 minute for data collection,’ SpaceX shared in a tweet,
‘Will announce a new target launch date once confirmed on the Range.’
Wednesday’s launch was set to take 57 internet-beaming devices into space, each sporting a new innovate – VisorSat. The feature is SpaceX’s solution to complaints that Starlinks are flooding the night sky with excessive light and blocking astronomers from making new discoveries
The launch of these satellites would have brought SpaceX’s Starlink constellation to very nearly 600 total spacecraft in low-Earth orbit.
Not only is this mission a milestone for the firm, the tenth batch, but it will be the first time each of the satellites carry VisorSat.
The satellite constellation has received widespread criticism from astronomers for tainting the natural view of the night sky as the satellites are highly reflective.
SpaceX has been experimenting with ways to make the craft less visible from Earth, and the Jun 4 batch included one experimental craft with an inbuilt sun visor
CEO Elon Musk said in April: ‘We have a radio-transparent foam that will deploy nearly upon the satellite being released, and it blocks the sun from reaching the antennas.’
The launch of these satellites would have brought SpaceX’s Starlink constellation to very nearly 600 total spacecraft in low-Earth orbit
The maverick billionaire added that the reason Starlink is so prominent from Earth with the naked eye is because of the angle of the satellite’s solar panels.
As the satellites rise to orbit altitude, they are at the perfect position to bounce light from the sun back to Earth, making the satellites look similar to stars.
SpaceX is working to adjust this angle to avoid the issue going forward, Musk said.
Along with the new batch of Starlink devices will be two other satellites developed by Seattle-based BlackSky, which offers imaging and global monitoring services.
BlackSky has four satellites in orbit from launches in 2018 and 2019 that were built in-house by Spaceflight Industries.
The company hopes to have 16 satellites in low Earth orbit by early 2021.
BlackSky is taking advantage of SpaceX’s rideshare program, which acts like Uber but for payloads into space.
Companies reserve a spot on the Falcon 9, which cost as low as $1 million.
SpaceX recently boasted on Twitter that it has more than 100 spacecraft have signed up to fly on the Falcon 9.
SpaceX has been experimenting with ways to make the craft less visible from Earth, and the Jun 4 batch included one experimental craft with an inbuilt sun visor CEO Elon Musk said in April: ‘We have a radio-transparent foam that will deploy nearly upon the satellite being released, and it blocks the sun from reaching the antennas’
SpaceX has accelerated its efforts over the past month, sending dozens of Starlinks to orbit every week to create its global internet network.
The firm says it hopes to be able to start offering a basic internet service when it has a constellation of at least 800 satellites – likely to happen later this year.
The Elon Musk-owned aerospace company is also inviting those interested in the service since up ‘to get updates on Starlink news and service availability in your area,’ according to SpaceX.
The beta is expected to open up in later this summer or in early fall.
‘Private beta testing is expected to begin later this summer, followed by public beta testing, starting with higher latitudes,’ SpaceX said in an email sent to those who signed up
ELON MUSK’S SPACEX SET TO BRING BROADBAND INTERNET TO THE WORLD WITH ITS STARLINK CONSTELLATION OF SATELLITS
Elon Musk’s SpaceX has launched the fifth batch of its ‘Starlink’ space internet satellites – taking the total to 300.
They form a constellation of thousands of satellites, designed to provide low-cost broadband internet service from low Earth orbit.
The constellation, informally known as Starlink, and under development at SpaceX’s facilities in Redmond, Washington.
Its goal is to beam superfast internet into your home from space.
While satellite internet has been around for a while, it has suffered from high latency and unreliable connections.
Starlink is different. SpaceX says putting a ‘constellation’ of satellites in low earth orbit would provide high-speed, cable-like internet all over the world.
The billionaire’s company wants to create the global system to help it generate more cash.
Musk has previously said the venture could give three billion people who currently do not have access to the internet a cheap way of getting online.
It could also help fund a future city on Mars.
Helping humanity reach the red planet is one of Musk’s long-stated aims and was what inspired him to start SpaceX.
The company recently filed plans with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to launch 4,425 satellites into orbit above the Earth – three times as many that are currently in operation.
‘Once fully deployed, the SpaceX system will pass over virtually all parts of the Earth’s surface and therefore, in principle, have the ability to provide ubiquitous global service,’ the firm said.
‘Every point on the Earth’s surface will see, at all times, a SpaceX satellite.’
The network will provide internet access to the US and the rest of the world, it added.
It is expected to take more than five years and $9.8 billion (£7.1bn) of investment, although satellite internet has proved an expensive market in the past and analysts expect the final bill will be higher.
Musk compared the project to ‘rebuilding the internet in space’, as it would reduce reliance on the existing network of undersea fibre-optic cables which criss-cross the planet.
In the US, the FCC welcomed the scheme as a way to provide internet connections to more people.