After a five-day delay due to weather conditions, SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at the Cape Canaveral space station in Florida. This mission sent 54 additional Starlink satellites into orbit to extend the global coverage of its satellite internet service.
Starlink currently has more than 3,000 satellites in orbit. SpaceX has worked quickly to expand its constellation of satellites with very frequent launches, almost weekly. SpaceX has already surpassed its record of 31 launches in 2021, the most liftoffs in a year.
As of July, Starlink broadband is available in 36 countries, including significant coverage in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Famed SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted on Monday that coverage is now available on all seven continents, including Antarctica. SpaceX plans to continue to significantly expand its coverage in 2023, including the rest of the United States. Elon Musk recently tweeted that he plans to have up to 100 launches in 2023.
Source: ZDNet.com