SpaceX Sets Record For Reuse Of Falcon 9 Rockets
HAWTHORNE (CBSLA) — Hawthorne-based SpaceX set a record Tuesday for the reuse of its workhorse Falcon 9 rockets when it launched another batch of internet satellites into orbit.
The Falcon 9 rocket that was used in Tuesday morning's launch has been used in five previous missions and is now the first to be successfully launched and recovered six times.
The rocket, which launched at 7:31 a.m. California time from Florida's Cape Canaveral, is propelling 58 Starlink satellites into orbit.
The Starlink satellites are part of SpaceX founder Elon Musk's planned worldwide internet array, offering low-cost broadband access to traditionally underserved areas.
Roughly 600 Starlink satellites are already in orbit.
Tuesday's launch also deployed three Earth-imaging satellites for a private company known as Planet. Those three satellites were deployed into orbit first -- about 12 and a half minutes after liftoff -- followed by the Starlink satellites 46 minutes after liftoff, according to SpaceX.
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