After a week-long delay, SpaceX finally got to launch the first 60 Starlink satellites in what will eventually become the world's largest satellite constellation consisting of almost 12,000 satellites.
The launch of the Falcon 9 carrying the Starlink internet satellites took place at 10:30 p.m. EDT (0230 GMT) on May 24 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The original launch date on May 15 was delayed due to high upper-level winds. The second launch date was rescheduled to give the satellites a software upgrade.
The launch was "the heaviest payload a Falcon 9 has ever launched, or Falcon Heavy, for that matter," said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk before the mission. The Falcon 9 lifted more than 37,000 pounds of mass, said Musk. Each Starlink satellite weighs 227 kg (500 lbs.)
An hour after lift-off, SpaceX deployed the 60 Starlink satellites in a very low Earth orbit of 440 kilometers above the planet's surface.
The full Starlink omega constellation will consist of 11,943 satellites in various low Earth orbit (LEO) altitudes. Musk said SpaceX will need some 720 satellites in orbit to get "moderate" worldwide internet coverage.
Starlink will need several billions of dollars to fully develop but Musk claims SpaceX has the funding needed to begin operations.
"At this point, it looks like we have sufficient capital to get to an operational level," said Musk.
He noted that Starlink "is one of the hardest engineering projects I've ever seen done."
The launch is the second largest number of satellites ever deployed in one launch mission by any country or company. Only India has deployed more satellites in one launch.
Before the May 15 launch, Musk tweeted that "much will likely go wrong" on this first mission on May 15. He said SpaceX will need "6 more launches of 60" satellites per launch to get "minor coverage" for the internet network. A dozen launches consisting of 720 satellites will be needed "for moderate" coverage," according to Musk.
The full Starlink constellation will consist of 11,943 satellites at various altitudes in LEO, which is defined as a geocentric orbit with an altitude of 2,000 km or less. NASA estimates there are some 2,600 satellites orbiting the Earth in various orbits. There are also 6,200 pieces of space junk.
