SpaceX launch doubleheader puts 51 Starlinks and Inmarsat relay station into orbit
CBSN
SpaceX launched Falcon 9 rockets from both coasts Friday, firing off 51 of the company's Starlink internet satellites from California, and then boosting a high-power Inmarsat commercial relay station into orbit from Florida.
The latest batch of Starlinks was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, northwest of Los Angeles, at 2:12 p.m. EST. The climb to space went smoothly, and 15 minutes after liftoff, the Starlinks were released in a batch, slowly spreading apart as they drifted away.
SpaceX has now launched 3,981 broadband relay stations in 75 flights as the California rocket builder populates its globe-spanning commercial constellation with tens of thousands of satellites, providing low-latency, relatively high-speed internet to customers at any point on the planet.
Los Angeles firefighters have made progress containing wildfires that have claimed at least 10 lives and caused unprecedented damage. In the weeks ahead, officials and residents will examine whether local authorities' warnings and early responses adequately prepared the city for the escalating crisis.