Elon Musk's SpaceX Sets a New Record in Space!
Elon Musk’s space exploration company, SpaceX, has reached a major milestone by launching over 10,000 satellites into space. The company added another 56 satellites to Earth’s orbit, setting this unprecedented record. In terms of the number of satellites in space, no other company or organization comes close to SpaceX.
On Sunday (October 19), SpaceX launched two Falcon 9 rockets from Florida and California. Each rocket carried 28 Starlink satellites, totaling 56 satellites deployed into orbit. Through these launches, the number of Starlink satellites sent into space has surpassed 10,000, SpaceX announced in a post on X.
SpaceX’s Starlink provides high-speed satellite-based internet services worldwide. To achieve this, the company has created a massive satellite network by sending satellites into low Earth orbit. The first experimental Starlink satellite was launched in 2018, followed by the first operational batch of 60 satellites in 2019.
Since then, the number of Starlink satellites in space has grown steadily. However, the initiative has also faced criticism. Many express concern over the increasing problem of space debris, to which SpaceX has contributed actively.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a total of 12,000 satellites for Starlink. Additionally, SpaceX plans to deploy another 30,000 satellites in the future.
Not all Starlink satellites launched are currently operational. A typical satellite has an average lifespan of about five years. Some satellites have already been decommissioned, meaning they were removed from orbit to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Currently, approximately 8,600 Starlink satellites remain in orbit.
Sources: SpaceX, Mashable
