SpaceX launches record-breaking 62nd orbital mission of the year

SpaceX has set a brand new launch file.

The corporate despatched 21 of its Starlink web satellites to orbit on Sept. 3 atop a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Area Heart in Florida at 10:47 p.m. EDT (0247 GMT on Sept. 4).

It was SpaceX’s 62nd orbital mission of 2023, setting a brand new file for many flights in a 12 months, in response to firm founder and CEO Elon Musk. The previous mark was set in 2022.

The Falcon 9’s first stage got here again to Earth as deliberate. It touched down about 8.5 minutes after liftoff on the drone ship Simply Learn the Directions, which was stationed within the Atlantic Ocean.

It was the tenth launch and touchdown for this specific booster, in response to a SpaceX mission description.

The Falcon 9’s higher stage, in the meantime, stored on flying to deploy the 21 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) about 65 minutes after liftoff.

Nice work by the @SpaceX staff efficiently launching 61 Falcon rocket missions this 12 months! If tomorrow’s mission goes properly, we are going to exceed final 12 months’s flight depend. SpaceX has delivered ~80% of all Earth payload mass to orbit in 2023. China is ~10% & remainder of world different ~10%.September 2, 2023

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The launch was a part of a giant day for SpaceX. The corporate additionally introduced dwelling the 4 astronauts of its Crew-6 mission, who had been on the Worldwide Area Station (ISS) since March.

Crew-6’s Crew Dragon capsule, named Endeavour, departed the ISS a bit of after 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT) on Sept. 3. It efficiently splashed down within the ocean off the Florida coast at round 12:17 a.m. EDT (0417 GMT). You’ll be able to watch that milestone on YouTube, courtesy of NASA.

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