SpaceX adds another 54 Starlinks
August 30, 2022
By Chris Forrester
SpaceX continues to populate its mega-constellation of orbiting broadband craft continues. Its mission 4-23 Falcon 9 rocket took off on Aigust 27th from Landing Complex 40 from Cape Canaveral, Florida carrying 54 satellites weighing a combined 16 tonnes – the heaviest payload ever launched.
Following launch the booster rocket landed flawlessly on to the ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ floating barge.
This launch which was the 38th SpaceX launch this year which is a record for any launch provider.
According to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, who closely monitors SpaceX activity, there have now been 3,162 total Starlink satellites launched of which 2,895 are in orbit.
August 27th also saw a US Appeals Court give its verdict which upheld a previous FCC approval for SpaceX to launch 2m824 satellites to a lower altitude. Viasat had objected to the permissions granted to SpaceX.
The Appeal Court said: “Viasat operates only a single satellite that flies close to SpaceX’s constellation” and added “This theory of injury [to Viasat] is much too speculative.”