SpaceX rocket launches 53 Starlink satellites into orbit and aces landing at sea

from
https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-launch-group-4-18

SpaceX rocket launches 53 Starlink satellites into orbit and aces 
landing at sea
By Mike Wall published about 4 hours ago

The Falcon 9 rocket launch (and landing) marked SpaceX's third Starlink 
mission in five days.


A used SpaceX rocket launched a new fleet of Starlink internet 
satellites into orbit and returned to Earth for a stunning landing at 
sea early Wednesday (May 18).

The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket topped with 53 Starlink spacecraft soared 
into the Florida morning sky from NASA's Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space 
Center. Liftoff was at 6:59 a.m. EDT (1059 GMT), about 39 minutes later 
than SpaceX initially planned.

"Falcon 9 has successfully lifted off carrying our 53 Starlink 
satellites into space," SpaceX production manager Jessie Anderson said 
during a live webcast. The launch marked SpaceX's third Starlink mission 
in five days following missions on May 13 and May 14.

About nine minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9 rocket returned to Earth 
with a smooth landing on SpaceX's droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in 
the Atlantic Ocean, with onboard cameras capturing stunning video of the 
entire descent. It was landing number 121 for a SpaceX booster, Anderson 
said.

Related: SpaceX's Starlink megaconstellation launches in photos

Image 1 of 3
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 53 Starlink satellites into space from 
Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 18, 2022.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 53 Starlink satellites into space from 
Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 18, 2022. 
(Image credit: SpaceX)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 53 Starlink satellites into space from 
Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 18, 2022.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 53 Starlink satellites into space from 
Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 18, 2022. 
(Image credit: SpaceX)
This split screen view shows SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket booster returning 
to Earth (left) as its second stage carries 53 Starlink satellites (seen 
in stacked configuration) toward orbit on May 18, 2022.

This split screen view shows SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket booster returning 
to Earth (left) as its second stage carries 53 Starlink satellites (seen 
in stacked configuration) toward orbit on May 18, 2022. (Image credit: 
SpaceX)
Starlink is SpaceX's broadband constellation, which currently consists 
of more than 2,300 satellites, according to astrophysicist and satellite 
tracker Jonathan McDowell. That number has been growing rapidly lately; 
SpaceX has launched 21 missions already in 2022, and 14 of them have 
been dedicated Starlink flights as of Wednesday's launch.

But the Starlink population could get truly huge in the not-too-distant 
future; the next-generation version of the constellation may eventually 
consist of up to 30,000 satellites, according to a Reuters report.

Image 1 of 2
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands atop the droneship A Shortfall Of 
Gravitas after successfully launching 53 Starlink satellites into orbit 
on May 18, 2022.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands atop the droneship A Shortfall Of 
Gravitas after successfully launching 53 Starlink satellites into orbit 
on May 18, 2022. (Image credit: SpaceX)
A view of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket as it approaches its droneship 
landing platform A Shortfall Of Gravitas on May 18, 2022.

A view of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket as it approaches its droneship 
landing platform A Shortfall Of Gravitas on May 18, 2022. (Image credit: 
SpaceX)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands atop the droneship A Shortfall Of 
Gravitas after successfully launching 53 Starlink satellites into orbit 
on May 18, 2022.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands atop the droneship A Shortfall Of 
Gravitas after successfully launching 53 Starlink satellites into orbit 
on May 18, 2022. (Image credit: SpaceX)
A view of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket as it approaches its droneship 
landing platform A Shortfall Of Gravitas on May 18, 2022.

A view of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket as it approaches its droneship 
landing platform A Shortfall Of Gravitas on May 18, 2022. (Image credit: 
SpaceX)
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Wednesday's mission marked the fifth for this particular Falcon 9 first 
stage. SpaceX previously used the rocket booster to launch its 
Arabsat-6A mission and the Space Test Project-2 flight for the U.S. 
Space Force (both as one of two side boosters on a Falcon Heavy rocket); 
as well as the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation FM2 satellite for Italy 
and an earlier Starlink flight.

Such reuse is a priority for SpaceX and its founder and CEO, Elon Musk, 
who views rapid and repeated reflight as the key breakthrough needed to 
make ambitious exploration feats such as Mars settlement economically 
feasible.

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; 
illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. 
Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom 
or on Facebook.

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