Off the wire
• Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  • Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  • Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  • Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  • Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  
You are here: 　

2nd LD: SpaceX launches 1st of its broadband internet satellites

Xinhua,February 22, 2018 Adjust font size:

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- U.S. private flight company SpaceX on Thursday launched its first two test satellites for its global broadband internet-in-space project.

The company plans eventually to create a giant constellation of about 12,000 of small satellites delivering broadband access around the world.

A used Falcon 9 rocket blasted off at 6:17 a.m. local time (1417 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 4E at California's Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying Spain's PAZ, a radar-imaging satellite, and two SpaceX test satellites for global broadband.

The launch's primary mission is to deliver PAZ into orbit for the Spain-based company Hisdesat.

According to the mission description, equipped with an advanced radar instrument, PAZ will cover the entire globe in 24 hours, serving both commercial and government needs. Designed for a mission life of five and a half years, PAZ will orbit Earth 15 times per day, providing internet coverage for an area of over 300,000 square km from an altitude of 514 km and at a velocity of 7 km per second.

SpaceX called off an attempted launch of its Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday morning due to strong high-altitude winds. The launch, initially targeted for Saturday, Feb. 17, was initially delayed for 24 hours due to final checks, and then subsequently to no earlier than Feb. 21, because of additional checks and mission-related requirements. Enditem

 

Related News & Photos