Space Exploration Technologies Corp. plans to orbit 300 Starlink internet satellites in March - the largest number in a single month since the company launched its first 60 test satellites in May 2019.
SpaceX launched a record number of missions last year.
Each of five scheduled missions for March will deliver 60 Starlink small satellites into low Earth orbit. The first mission for March was originally set to launch in February.
This launch was the 20th Starlink mission to date and the sixth launch for 2021. The previous launch attempt Feb. 28 ended in a scrub.
The success of the March 4 mission means there are now 1,141 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit. Since the first launch in May 2018, SpaceX has orbited 1,205 Starlink smallsats. Of this number, 64 were de-orbited as of Oct. 8.
The next Starlink mission is set for March 11. It will blastoff from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The third Starlink mission is scheduled for March 14. The two other missions have no firm launch dates.
SpaceX will use the Starlink megaconstellation of satellites to provide broadband satellite internet connectivity to underserved areas and rural areas of the planet. Starlink will also provide competitively priced internet services to urban areas.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk estimates Starlink might generate revenues of $30 billion a year, which is 10 times the highest annual revenue SpaceX expects from its launch business. Musk needs the money from Starlink to fund his plan to send the first humans to Mars within this decade.
