Christine Thropp
Sixty SpaceX-operated small satellites aboard the Falcon 9 rocket were sent to low Earth orbit to join the Starlink broadband constellation that is being established by the company to deliver high-speed broadband internet connection to rural or remote communities, SpaceNews reported Wednesday.
Falcon 9 launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida Wednesday, marking the eighth time it carried Starlink satellites to Space in 2021.
Following the most recent activity, the constellation is anticipated to be able to provide continuous global service coverage after four or five more launches.
Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX and a 2021 Wash100 Award recipient, said at the Satellite 2021 LEO Digital Forum that the company is yet to attain full connectivity throughout the globe.
“The plan after [achieving continuous global coverage] is to continue to add satellites to provide additional capacity,” she added.
The liftoff is the 23rd Starlink launch. SpaceX earlier sent a batch of Starlink satellites to space to continue the constellation's development.
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