SpaceX hopes to launch 24 Starlink missions in 2020 as the company builds out a broadband megaconstellation that could ultimately number close to 12,000 satellites according to SpaceX’s Gwynne Shotwell. If Falcon 9’s are used for the launches this would be 1440 Starlink satellites. There are four launches planned in 2019. There would be a total of 1680 Starlink satellites if all of them worked and they were launched 60 at a time.
SpaceX’s Starlink launch cadence will likely average “two a month,” in addition to customer launches, Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX’s president and chief operating officer, said at the World Satellite Business Week conference here.
Shotwell estimated SpaceX will do seven to eight more missions this year, including Starlink. SpaceX has flown 10 rockets this year — eight Falcon 9s and two Falcon Heavies. Shotwell didn’t say how many total launches SpaceX plans in 2020, only that it is “much higher” than this year’s projected max of 18.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said consistent partial coverage would be achieved with 400 Starlink satellites, and they should be economically viable at 1,000 Starlink satellites.
Gwynne Shotwell (#SpaceX) expects 24 Starlink constellation launches in 2020, 2 per month #WSBW
— Vincent Lamigeon (@VincentLamigeon) September 10, 2019
SOURCES- SpaceX, Space News, Twitter
Written By Brian Wang. Nextbigfuture.com
nextbigfuture.com, the top online science blog. He is also involved in angel investing and raising funds for breakthrough technology startup companies.
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