The commercial communications satellite was launched by the Falcon 9 rocket at the same time, setting a new launch record.
The largest commercial communications array ever flown in space was carried by the Falcon 9 when it blasted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The liftoff was on time. The Falcon 9 booster made history when it came back to Earth.
The Starlink megaconstellation was photographed.
Jesse Anderson, a SpaceX production engineering manager, said during live commentary that this is the 14th landing for the booster.
Some records were set by the mission.
It was the first five-engine-burn mission to deploy a mission in space, as well as the company'saviest rideshare mission ever.
The flight is one of the most complex missions, according to the CEO of the company.
While the main goal of Saturday's launch was to add 34 new Starlink satellites to its growing constellation, the BlueWalker 3 satellite stood out for both its size and ambitious mission.
The largest commercial antenna array launched into space is the 693 square foot satellite. To test new technology that will allow users from space to use cellular phone service. The goal is to provide seamless high-speed phone and data service in areas that don't have it.
In order to communicate with a low-power, low internal strength phone, you just need a large antenna on one side with a lot of power, and so that's a critical part of our infrastructure." It's important for communicating directly with regulars phones, with no changes to the phone, and no extra burdens on the user.
Wisniewski said that it will take several weeks before BlueWalker 3 is deployed. The company will conduct a series of health checks to make sure the satellite is ok.
10 cellular service providers will participate in the company's planned six-month shakedown cruise of BlueWalker 3 to test its capabilities around the world. Vodaphone is one of the partners that has a potential reach of over one million phone users. BlueWalker 3 was granted an FCC license to test its service in Texas and Hawaii.
More than one satellite is needed to provide complete coverage. Wisniewski said that this was the culmination of the R&D stage of the company.
BlueWalker 3 will be followed by five operational satellites in the years to come. The goal is to build a constellation of at least 100 giant satellites.
Cell phone coverage from space is being pursued by other companies. The company is working on a project similar to the one Musk announced last month.
Skywatchers may be able to see the satellites from the ground because of their size, according to a New Scientist report. If that sounds familiar, it's because it's been a problem with the Starlink constellation since the company began launching so many of them at once.
After launching the BlueWalker 3 and Starlink satellites, the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket came back to Earth and landed on a ship in the Atlantic. A new record was set for the number of launches for a booster.
Prior to Saturday's flight, the Falcon 9 stage launched eight different Starlink missions, as well as the ANASIS-2 satellite for South Korea in July 2020.
The goal was to fly them at least 10 times, according to Musk. The company has pushed its boundaries for rocket reusability as part of its effort to lower the cost of spaceflight.
The size of the Starlink constellation has continued to grow as well as the number of countries and areas of coverage. Royal Caribbean announced (opens in new tab) in August that it will be using Starlink aboard all of its cruise ships by 2023, with SpaceX already offering services for RV's, boats and homes around the world.
More than 3000 satellites have been launched by the company in the last year. The company has applied for permission to increase the number of satellites by up to 30,000.
Another Starlink mission is planned for September 11. That flight, which will carry 54 Starlink satellites, is scheduled to launch at 10:53 p.m. You can watch the launch on Space.com.
It was the 41st launch of the year for the company. The company has 179 launches.
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