In order to maintain the cadence of rapid Starlink satellite launches to set new records, SpaceX launched a new batch of Starlink satellites at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Today's launch marks the 12th flight of the Falcon 9 booster, which is assigned for the 26th Starlink flight in 2024. So far, SpaceX has launched eight missions in April, six of which have been Starlink satellites.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 will launch 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit in April 2024. Image: SpaceX
The fast launch cadence allowed the Falcon 9 to squeeze out more "Starlink" satellites with each launch, allowing SpaceX to recover some of the losses of the reduced number of satellites launched per mission by the medium-sized launch vehicle.
The Falcon 9 is currently the only medium-sized rocket capable of flying fast, and its rapid launch in April this year has allowed it to break records and break records. The Falcon 9's latest record was set a few days ago, when it became the first rocket booster in human history to complete 20 missions. Rapid reuse has allowed SpaceX to dominate the midsize launch vehicle market and opened access to space for a variety of companies, from imaging to telecommunications.
In terms of the latter, this rocket also makes "Starlink" the world's largest constellation of small satellites in low-Earth orbit. The latest data from SpaceX shows that the Starlink constellation has about six thousand satellites, and today's launch puts another 23 satellites into low-Earth orbit.
Since its public debut, Starlink has added 2.7 million users to its network, increasing network capacity with each launch. Starlink's popularity, especially during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has also helped SpaceX continue to secure funding in the sluggish financial markets. The Pentagon recently signed a contract with SpaceX to develop a military-use variant of its network. While the details of these satellites have rarely been made public, the satellites launched today are significantly upgraded from previous ones.
SpaceX's Starlink stats as of early April 2024. Image: SpaceX Starlink update at Starlink at Boca Chica on April 4, 2024.
These upgrades include increasing the internet capacity of each satellite and improving thrusters to help them navigate more than five hundred kilometers above the Earth's surface. Today's launch is SpaceX's 39th launch in 2024. That makes SpaceX less than 10 of the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy missions it will launch in 2023.
The rapid launch of Starlink in the second half of the year will be critical to ensure that the constellation retains an advantage over existing and future competitors. In the process of building a constellation of six thousand internet satellites, SpaceX is also engaged in a fierce battle with Amazon's Kuiper subsidiary at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The Kuiper and Starlink satellites operate in similar orbits, using similar network architectures to provide internet services to users in cities and sparsely populated areas.
Unlike "Kuiper", though, Starlink operates thanks to the close relationship of its internet subsidiary with the parent company of its launch service provider. SpaceX has bet on the future of internet services on its Starship rocket. Starship is currently being tested in Boca Chica, Texas, and if pre-flight testing and regulatory approvals go well, the next Starship launch could take place soon.
Earlier this month, SpaceX statically launched the Starship Super Heavy booster and is currently upgrading the launch pad in preparation for another launch of the world's largest rocket. The most recent Starship test flight was carried out on the basis of a previous launch, completing key events such as the stage separation of the second Starship and the nominal ascent after a seven-minute stage separation.
The third Starship test flight demonstrated the supernatural capabilities required to operate a rocket system consisting of 33 engines. After the tests, SpaceX blamed the loss of the vehicle on landing on a single engine failure that caused all engines to lose power, adding that as one of the remedies for the Starship IFT-4, future boosters will improve the hardware and "improve operation" to reduce the chances of similar anomalies occurring in the future.