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Saturday, January 23, 2021
THE HAPPENING WORLD: SpaceX Transporter-1 Launch: 143 Satellites to Polar Orbit
The first of SpaceX's small satellite rideshare missions is set for liftoff Saturday from Cape Canaveral, providing transportation to orbit for 143 spacecraft, a record number of satellites on a single launch.
— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) January 23, 2021
Launch is set for 9:40am EST (1440 GMT).https://t.co/cx1fjVHPpb pic.twitter.com/DAwyHXb4Hb
This will be SpaceX's second launch to sun-synchronous orbit from Cape Canaveral, which, prior to the first last year, hadn't been done since the 1960s. SpaceX's first stage recovery allows polar orbit launches which previously required launching from Imperial Space Base Vandenberg in the People's Republic of California to be launched from Florida. The ride-share launch will include 10 of SpaceX's own Starlink satellites, the first launched to polar orbit to serve high-latitude customers. The first stage booster has flown four times previously, including on the first Crew Dragon launch to the International Space Station. Liftoff is scheduled for 14:40 UTC.
Posted at January 23, 2021 11:02