SpaceX breaks India’s record by launching 143 satellites on a single rocket

  • SpaceX broke a world space record by launching 143 satellites in quick succession. 
  • It beat India’s record of deploying 104 satellites which was made in February 2017. 
  • The launching vehicle for India's 2017 mission was PSLV C-37

SPACEX LAUNCH

  • The launch vehicle for the SpaceX record-breaking flight was the Falcon 9. 
  • The mission was designated as Transporter-1. 
  • The lift-off happened at Cape Canaveral in Florida.
  • The launch marks the first dedicated mission for SpaceX’s SmallSat Rideshare Program, which enables small-satellite customers to book a ride to orbit with SpaceX directly.
  • The 143 satellites launched included commercial and government CubeSats, microsats, what are known as orbiter transfer vehicles and 10 Starlink satellites. 
  • This batch of Starlink satellites was the first in the constellation to be placed in the polar orbit. 
  • With these satellites, SpaceX aims to provide near-global broadband internet coverage all over the world by 2021.

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