Ken Kremer -- SpaceUpClose.com & RocketSTEM – 26 May 2019
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FL – SpaceX’s highly anticipated Starlink broadband constellation has begun with the 1st blastoff of the inaugural batch of 60 satellites on the firms Falcon 9 rocket on what turned out to be the third try on Thursday evening May 23 as the recycled Falcon 9 rocket soared to space.
In the not to distant future the Starlink constellation will grow to many thousands of next generation satellites that could very will revolutionize the way the world accesses and uses the internet in the next few years by slashing prices and broadening coverage to hard to reach places across the globe.
At least that’s the hope and dream put forth by SpaceX CEO and billionaire founder Elon Musk for his planned network of Low Earth orbiting (LEO) Starlink satellites aiming to provide global high speed broadband internet services to customers worldwide.
Up to 6 more Starlink launches could take place this year, Musk tweeted post launch.
Enjoy our Space UpClose gallery of photo and video imagery from the launch and prelaunch activities.
Check back as the gallery grows.
Starlink 1 comsat launch on SpaceX Falcon 9 on 23 May 2019 from Cape Canaveral, FL. Credit: Ken
Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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“The goal of the Starlink system is to provide high bandwidth, low latency connectivity, ideally throughout the world that will offer an alternative to expensive services and also provide internet options to places where no connectivity is currently available.”
Liftoff of the Starlink 1 mission finally took place at 10:30
p.m. EDT Thursday, May 23 (0230 GMT Friday) from
Space Launch Complex-40 (SLC-40) on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL.
The 229-foot-tall (70-meter)
Falcon 9 ignited at 10;30 p.m. EDT right at the opening of the 90 minute long launch
window with 1.7 million pounds of liftoff thrust spewing from the 9 Merlin 1D first
stage engines fueled by liquid oxygen and RP-1 propellants.
http://www.fox35orlando.com/home/spacex-trying-again-for-launch-of-falcon-9-rocket
Watch for Ken’s continuing
onsite coverage of NASA, SpaceX, ULA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
and more space and mission reports direct from the Kennedy Space Center, Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida and Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia.
Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
The nighttime skies were mostly clear and offered a stunning
spectacle for spectators as Falcon thundered off the launch pad and the engines
roar crackled as loud as we’ve ever heard.
Starlink 1 high speed internet comsat launch
on SpaceX Falcon 9 on 23 May 2019 from Cape Canaveral, FL. Credit: Ken
Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
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Watch my launch video here:
Video Caption: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying maiden set of 60
SpaceX built Starlink high speed broadband satellites lifts off at 10:30 p.m.
ET on May 23, 2019 from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station,
FL on Starlink-1 mission - as seen in this video
camera stationed at pad. Credit: Ken
Kremer/kenkremer.com/spaceupclose.com
The Starlink 1 launch was scrubbed twice last
week – first for excessive and powerful upper levels winds which could destroy
the rocket on ascent through the atmosphere on the originally targeted date of
May 15. And second to fix a pesky software issue that was only discovered several
hours prior to the second attempt on May 16
“Starlink will connect the globe with
reliable and affordable high-speed broadband services,” says SpaceX.
The jettisoned payload fairings were both recovered
after parachute assisted splashdown, hauled out of the Atlantic Ocean and
sailed into Port Canaveral, Sunday, May 26. See our story/photos
Watch my SpaceX launch commentary and rocket photos at this Fox 35
Orlando report from May 16 launch attempt:
http://www.fox35orlando.com/home/spacex-trying-again-for-launch-of-falcon-9-rocket
Dr. Ken Kremer/Space UpClose commentary about SpaceX
Starlink-1 launch with Fox 35 WOFL Orlando TV News
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Stay tuned here for Ken's continuing Earth and Planetary science and human spaceflight news: www.kenkremer.com –www.spaceupclose.com – twitter @ken_kremer – email: ken at kenkremer.com
Dr. Kremer is a research scientist and journalist based in the KSC area, active in outreach and interviewed regularly on TV and radio about space topics.
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