Hawthorne-based SpaceX will attempt Friday to launch another batch of satellites into orbit as it continues efforts to build a worldwide low-cost internet service.
The Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to take off from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 1:18 p.m. California time. The rocket will be carrying 57 Starlink internet satellites.
Following the launch, SpaceX will again attempt to recover the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket by landing it on a barge named “Of Course I Still Love You” floating in the Atlantic ocean.
The company has essentially perfected the recovery process, which was conceived in an effort to slash the cost of launches by allowing rockets to be reused. The first stage of the rocket being used in Friday’s launch was used in four previous SpaceX missions, including two previous Starlink satellite launches.
For SpaceX, the launch will be the 10th in its effort to build the Starlink worldwide internet array. The array is planned to provide low-cost internet access to people around the globe, particularly in under-served areas.
If Friday’s launch is successful, the Starlink array will grow to nearly 600 satellites in orbit. It’s unclear exactly how many satellites will ultimately be included in the constellation. SpaceX founder Elon Musk has said previously that the service could begin operating when it reaches 1,000 satellites, and the company has already begun soliciting people to be “beta” testers of the service. But the more satellites that are deployed will mean more comprehensive internet coverage.
In addition to the 57 Starlink satellites, the SpaceX rocket on Friday will also be carrying a pair of satellites for Spaceflight Industries, on behalf of Earth-observation company BlackSky.
BlackSky is in the process of building its satellite array, with four already in orbit. Friday’s launch would increase the array to six, and the company has an initial goal of launching 16 by early next year. The array could ultimately have as many as 60 satellites, but timing on that expansion hasn’t been determined.
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