The Falcon 9 rocket on Friday successfully injected into orbit another batch of 52 mini-satellites to replenish the orbital constellation of the Starlink global Internet coverage network, the developer SpaceX said.
“The launch of the 52 Starlink satellites has been confirmed,” the statement said.
The launch took place from the SLC-4E launch pad at U.S. Space Force Base Vandenberg in California at 12:26 p.m. U.S. Pacific Coast Time.
It was the 78th launch of Internet satellites since May 2019 as part of the Starlink project and the ninth since the beginning of this year. Including the current launch, SpaceX has already put more than 4,100 such satellites into orbit. Some of them have failed or fallen out of orbit. More than 3.8 thousand devices remain in orbit in working condition.
As part of the launch, the first reusable stage launch vehicle Falcon 9, which was used for the eighth time, about nine minutes after launch, made a controlled vertical landing on a floating drone platform Of Course I Still Love You, which was located in the Pacific Ocean, 670 km from the base.
The company is currently the largest satellite operator in the world. The Starlink Internet network is available to users in 50 countries, including North America, Europe, the Far East and Australia. According to the Pentagon, the services of these satellites are also actively used by the U.S. military.
In the future SpaceX plans to deploy an orbital constellation of 12 thousand spacecraft (and in the future – from 30 thousand) to create a full-scale network, which will provide residents of the earth broadband Internet access anywhere in the world. The total amount of investments in implementation of the project is estimated at $10 billion.
A Falcon 9 rocket on Sunday successfully injected another batch of 55 mini-satellites into orbit to replenish the orbital constellation of the Starlink global Internet coverage network, the developer SpaceX said.
“The launch of the 55 Starlink satellites has been confirmed,” the statement said.
The launch took place from the 40th launch pad of the U.S. Space Force Base at Cape Canaveral in Florida at 00:10 U.S. East Coast time (07:10 Kiev time).
About 1 hour and 4 minutes after the launch, the Starlink satellites separated from its second stage and entered a standard orbit.
This is the 73rd launch of a group of Internet satellites into orbit since May 2019 as part of the Starlink project and the fifth this year.
Including the current launch, SpaceX has already put more than 3,900 Starlink satellites into orbit. Some of them have malfunctioned or fallen out of orbit. Over 3.6 thousand devices remain in orbit in working condition.
Meanwhile, the first reusable stage rocket carrier rocket, which was used for the 12th time, about nine minutes after the launch made a vertical controlled landing on the sea platform drone A Shortfall of Gravitas, which was in the Atlantic at about 660 km from the launch pad.
In addition, a special rescue SpaceX vessel was to lift two fairing flaps of the rocket head part out of the water, which, after separation, descended by parachute. The re-use of the fairing saves SpaceX up to $6 million for its rocket launches.
The company is currently the largest satellite operator in the world. Internet from Starlink is available to users in 47 countries, including North America, Europe, the Far East and Australia. According to the Pentagon, the services of these satellites are also actively used by the U.S. military.
In the future SpaceX plans to deploy an orbital constellation of 12 thousand spacecraft (and in the future – from 30 thousand) to create a full-scale network, which will provide residents of the earth broadband Internet access anywhere in the world. The total amount of investments in implementation of the project is estimated at $10 billion.
Ukrzaliznytsia has successfully completed testing Starlink-based wi-fi on Intercity trains, head of the company Alexander Kamyshyn said in Telegram on Tuesday.
“Test results: availability on the route 97%, speeds up to 100 Mbps. Vice Prime Minister Kubrakov has set us the task now to deploy the pilot to all Intercity trains. By the end of the year the task will be accomplished”, – noted the head of the railway operator.
According to his words, the train was equipped with Starlinks “by partisan methods” and tested on different routes for more than 100 days.
Kamyshin said that he called from the train via video link to the Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail Fedorov and thanked him for his support.
In turn, Fedorov said that Ukrzaliznytsia has already received 450 Starlink terminals and by the end of the year will receive another part, in particular, from the batch that Germany will provide Ukraine in early February.
“Thousands of Starlink we will receive from Germany, I think, in early February,” said the deputy prime minister.
As reported, the last batch – 8 thousand terminals – was helped to Ukraine by Poland. More than 30 thousand Starlink terminals have already been deployed in the country.
Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Digital Transformation Mikhail Fedorov reports that as of Friday evening 30 thousand Starlink terminals have already been deployed in Ukraine. “30 thousand Starlink terminals are already in Ukraine. The 24/7 Mincifra team is working to provide even more terminals. International partners are helping with this. After all, Starlinks have become part of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. Thanks to them Ukrainians remain in touch where the usual network does not work during a power outage, “- Fedorov wrote in a telegram.
He specified that the last batch – 8 thousand terminals – Ukraine was helped to purchase by Poland.
“Hundreds of Starlinks from this batch are already working in the Points of Inconsistency across the country. Another part has been handed over to power engineers and medics. Yesterday I stopped by to protest the satellite Internet in one of the POPs from the State Emergency Service in Irpin”, – said the Minister.
He thanked Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Secretary of State for Digitalization Janusz Cieszynski for providing terminals to Ukraine.
“Special thanks to the National Telecommunications Institute and Orlen. Thanks to you millions of Ukrainians stay in touch!” – Fedorov concluded.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed laws No. 8196/8197 on assistance in restoring Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which, in particular, cancel VAT and customs duties on imports of generators and other power equipment, as well as Starlink satellite systems for the period until May 2023.
As people’s deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak (faction “Voice”) wrote in his Telegram channel, the laws will come into force three days after publication, according to his calculations, January 2-3, 2023.
“Of the main innovations: the importation of generators, other equipment, Starlink without duty and VAT is introduced at the legislative level. Including for individuals. The norm will be valid until May 2023,” – wrote Zheleznyak.
As it was reported, the Verkhovna Rada passed the bills № 8196/8197 in the second reading on December 13.
The bills also exempt from VAT and duties on importation of equipment within the framework of technical assistance, mail and express consignments, and provide the opportunity to store fuel without a license in the amount of up to 2,000 liters, and more than this volume on the conditions of notification to the tax authorities on the declarative principle.
As previously reported by the head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy Daniel Hetmantsev, the purpose of the above bills is to introduce short-term incentive tax and customs incentives for the restoration of energy infrastructure.
The producer of tobacco products PJSC “Philip Morris Ukraine” in cooperation with DTF agency organized five social spaces “Spheres of the Sweet” with working areas in Kyiv, Odessa and Lviv, equipped with generators and Starlink satellite communication systems.
According to Philip Morris’ press service on Tuesday, the social spaces can keep you warm, recharge your devices, work and drink hot tea. They will be open until Dec. 30 and can accommodate about 100 people each at a time.
“We work for a large international company with offices and stores in many Ukrainian cities. Like all Ukrainians, we look for communication during blackouts, sit in shelters during alarms and worry if we can’t contact our families. We believe that resilient companies can help to survive a blackout together, so we organized autonomous stations with electricity, internet and heat”, – the company quotes the general director of “Philip Morris Sales and Distribution” Dmitry Zinchenko.
According to him, from the first days of the launch, social spaces have been very popular among city residents and help out in very unexpected situations.
“Employees of different companies during blackouts often make a field office with us. In Odessa, for example, during a blackout, girls from a nail salon nearby moved into the sphere. And in Kiev, our space even became a place for a wedding ceremony”, – added Zinchenko.
Social spaces are located in Kiev on Lesya Ukrainka Square, 1 (Central Election Commission) and Kontraktova square (near the Ferris wheel), in Odessa in the Park of enthusiasts (Akademika Zabolotnogo 66/2v) and in the Square “Ray” (Levitan 95a), and in Lviv on Vinnichenko Street 24 (Powder Tower).
Philip Morris International, which includes “Philip Morris Ukraine” is one of the world’s largest tobacco manufacturers. It operates in Ukraine for more than 20 years, owns a factory in the Kharkov region. Before the Russian armed invasion the company employed about 1.3 thousand people. Before the war, the factory was an export hub for more than 20 countries, in particular such major markets as Japan and Egypt.
