On Sunday, SpaceX launched 143 satellites in a single launch by a new cost-cutting SmallSat Rideshare Program.
In 2019, SpaceX started a new program for transporting satellites to space at a low price. This program is known as SmallSat Rideshare.
It’s a beautiful business for SpaceX as it offers a very low price relative to other companies to launch satellites in space. The company provides 1 million dollars for a satellite of 485 pounds.
They start this program on a theme of uber share ride for the small satellites. The company can hatch a little place in the rocket to launch its satellite instead of buying the whole rocket at a very high price.
Launching of satellites from SpaceX
Initially, the launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 is terminated due to bad weather. But after the next 24 hours, SpaceX launched its rocket from Cap Canaveral Space Force Station.
The company launched a shoebox-sized CubeSat, and a microsatellite from it’s Florida based launchpad to its 326 miles high polar orbit. It launched its first polar mission last year.
SpaceX launches record batch of satellites in first in-house rideshare mission https://t.co/GTonMuGqsT
— The Verge (@verge) January 24, 2021
SpaceX breaks the record of Indian space agency ISRO of 104 satellites in a single rocket satellite launch in 2017. The company makes a new world record of launching 143 satellites in a single spacecraft through a Ride-Sharing method.
Still, it is working on its cost-cutting program to compete with its rival companies and agencies. They are also too ambitious to make space travel possible at an affordable price. The spacecraft Falcon 9 carries 143 satellites.
Cost-cutting Ridesharing program
The set of satellites include 48 Earth-imaging satellites. These satellites are SuperDoves from Planet.
For Toronto-based Kepler, other 17 mini communication satellites were launched. Germany based company launched 30 small satellites for Europe and US base.
DARPA, the R&D Agency of the Pentagon, exiled its two satellites from the RideShare Mission of SpaceX. DARPA has to do this due to its satellites the launch process in Cape Canaveral earlier this month.
The Transporter – 1 Mission SpaceX launched 60 of its Starlink satellites to space just four days after. This year becomes a remarkable year for the company due to its record-breaking RideSharing mission.
In the last 16 days, the company SpaceX has established more satellites to space than the entire world launched in any year.
This report or acclamation is submitted by a Harvard astronomer and an expert satellite tracker, Jonathan McDowell. This step will bring an evolution in the field of space technology soon.
Image courtesy of Vladyslav Bendyug/YouTube Screenshot