Technology
SpaceX is trying to break a record of rocket reusability this week
SpaceX is preparing for another launch on Tuesday of Starlink satellites — the tenth production launch of the satellites. In addition to 58 Starlink satellites, three Planet satellites will also be flying in the Falcon 9 mission, and this special rocket booster will be the sixth time this will have done a journey, which marks the record achievement for SpaceX.
Three previous SpaceX Starlink Missions, along with two other launches to transport SpaceX customers Telstar and Iridium satellites, were used for Tuesday's mission as first-stage booster.
SpaceX will also try to get back the booster, which would be another record achievement for the company.
SpaceX's flurry of Starlink launch offers you the chance to expand your work on reusable rocketing, which probably helps to reduce your launch costs. Starlink is the company's own project, meaning that it is especially important that it can cut operating costs every start-up to build the constellation — Starlink's broadband internet service is only approaching the beta stage and will not return the company's revenue for a while.
Another way for SpaceX to repress the envelope is with its fairing recovery programme. The company aims to catch the two halves of the rocket ships it uses to protect the cargo of its rocket while it is launching. For the first time, during a Starlink launch in July it was able to successfully capture both halves. This may reduce the cost of launch by up to $ 6 million per flight, when a reused fairing is re-used.
This mission will also include a payload rideshare arrangement with Customer Planet, which will allow SpaceX to further disburse capital expenses for these satellite launches. Companies have failed to reveal how much Planet and other customers pay to host some Starlink satellites, but it is likely that it will help to remove a decent portion of the total cost of launching.
Besides getting SpaceX a step closer to its goal of offering Starlink's web service, it is also the hundredth launch (and the 92nd Falcon 9 flight) to the firm, and continues to break new groond in its reusability program.
This is a great milestone, and a year of monumental firsts for SpaceX continues.
