What was that strange line of lights in the sky?
KENNEWICK, Wash. — People across Washington and Oregon witnessed a flying line of lights in the night sky on Tuesday. Now we know what it was.
SpaceX‘s Starlink satellites, launched earlier in the day on Tuesday, traveled overhead shortly after 9:30 p.m.
SpaceX launched 60 Starlink satellites from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:01 p.m. PST. This was the second launch of 60 satellites in less than a week
Last month, the Federal Communications Commission approved a modification of SpaceX’s Starlink constellation license; SpaceX can now operate more than 2,800 more satellites in lower orbits.
The goal is to create a “broadband megaconstellation” to provide reliable and affordable internet around the world.
The satellite internet network is available in parts of North America. The network is expected to be available globally in late 2021 or 2022.
According to SpaceX, this was the ninth launch and landing of this Falcon 9 first stage booster, which previously launched Telstar 18 VANTAGE, Iridium-8, and six Starlink missions.
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