48 more Starlink satellites launched by SpaceX
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launches 48 Starlink satellites into space on March 9, 2022. Credit: Theresa Cross / Spaceflight Insider
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted another group of Starlink satellites into orbit to add to the company’s internet constellation.
Liftoff took place at 8:45 a.m. EST (13:45 UTC) March 9, 2022, from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This was SpaceX’s 18th launch in four months, its 10th launch in 2022.
Credit: Theresa Cross / Spaceflight Insider
The 48 Starlink satellites launched today marks the 10th to build the constellation’s fourth shell, part of phase one, which consists of five orbital shells.
On March 5, SpaceX drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas,” was underway, leaving Port Canaveral, Florida, for the recovery zone in order to intercept the returning Falcon 9 first stage, core B1052.4 for the mission. The stage successfully landed on the drone ship about eight minutes after launch.
The payload fairings for the Starlink launch are expected to be recovered by “Doug,” another SpaceX fleet support ship.
Today’s liftoff also represents the final launch, for now, to fly southeast from Cape Canaveral.
Recent world events have increased the significance and importance of internet coverage worldwide in regions where there is little or no coverage possible.
Ukraine recently received an urgent shipment of Starlink satellite receivers after Russia invaded the country just under two weeks ago. SpaceX continues to work to maintain the flow of information in that region by keeping the satellites online in an attempt to provide uninterrupted broadband service.
As such, the company continues its focus on cyber defense to win against any signal jamming of Starlink satellites during Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Video courtesy of SpaceX
Theresa Cross
Theresa Cross grew up on the Space Coast. It’s only natural that she would develop a passion for anything “Space” and its exploration. During these formative years, she also discovered that she possessed a talent and love for defining the unique quirks and intricacies that exist in mankind, nature, and machines. Hailing from a family of photographers—including her father and her son, Theresa herself started documenting her world through pictures at a very early age. As an adult, she now exhibits an innate photographic ability to combine what appeals to her heart and her love of technology to deliver a diversified approach to her work and artistic presentations. Theresa has a background in water chemistry, fluid dynamics, and industrial utility.
