American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company SpaceX, reportedly, on Tuesday added 60 more Starlink internet broadband satellites to its constellation, only five days after it got its last batch into the orbit.
The launch, initiated from Cape Canaveral in Florida, utilized a re-used Falcon 9 Booster has that had already flown eight times. The booster also landed back safely on the company’s floating drone vessel in the Atlantic Ocean, matching the record for reusable flights that it had just set in March.
The latest launch marked the use of Falcon 9 for the 115th time. The company has now deployed 420 Starlink satellites since the starting of March.
It is worth noting that SpaceX currently has permission to launch a total of 30,000 Starlink satellites, along with an option for more, cited reliable sources.
SpaceX also disclosed updated data regarding its Starlink consumer hardware that is utilized for transmitting and receiving signals from the satellites for broadband connectivity. It claims it has received over 500,000 pre-order reservations for the internet service thus far, inclusive of advance deposits on the hardware.
The rapidly growing demand and large backlog in terms of fulfilling orders for Starlink to clarify why SpaceX is continuously launching satellites into space.
Knowledgeable sources cited that customers who want to avail the service can sign up through SpaceX’s Starlink website, however, all the necessary equipment is only available for pre-order, which includes the Starlink receiver, power supplies, a router, and mounting hardware.
The service is currently available to only beta users in the U.K., the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. However, the company’s goal is to continue expanding service availability to reach a near-global coverage by the end of this year, with several new additional launches planned throughout 2021.
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