Less than 24 hours after the Crew Dragon spacecraft successfully launched four crew members to the International Space Station, SpaceX made headlines once again with back-to-back launches from both coasts of the United States. The aerospace company launched 53 commercial satellites from California and an additional 23 of its own Starlink satellites from Florida, showcasing its prowess in the space industry.
Among the 53 satellites launched from California was the revolutionary MethaneSAT satellite, designed to monitor methane emissions and developed by a subsidiary of the Environmental Defense Fund. This innovative satellite is the first of its kind built by a nonprofit organization and aims to track methane emissions across vast areas to detect previously unidentified releases, particularly from sources like oil and gas operations.
Funded by a coalition of donors, including the government of New Zealand and the Bezos Earth Fund, the MethaneSAT project raised an impressive $88 million to support its mission. SpaceX's rideshare program, which charges $300,000 to launch a 110-pound payload, enabled smaller operators to send their payloads into orbit at a relatively low cost. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the MethaneSAT and other rideshare satellites successfully deployed them over the span of approximately an hour and 40 minutes, with MethaneSAT being the last to be released.
Simultaneously, another Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral lifted off, carrying 23 more Starlink internet relay satellites into orbit, further expanding SpaceX's Starlink constellation. This launch marked the 19th flight of the year for the California-based rocket builder and brought the total number of Starlink satellites launched to an impressive 5,942.
Notably, SpaceX accomplished a new milestone by launching three Falcon 9 rockets within a span of 20 hours and two within just one hour and 51 minutes, showcasing the company's rapid launch cadence. With plans to launch over 140 Falcon-family rockets this year, SpaceX is demonstrating its commitment to achieving an intense launch schedule and advancing space exploration.
The company's dedication to innovation and efficiency was evident as the rideshare mission's first stage, on its fifth flight, successfully returned and landed back at Vandenberg, while the Starlink booster touched down on an off-shore droneship. SpaceX's ability to efficiently recover and reuse rocket components is a key factor in driving down the costs associated with space launches and making space more accessible.
The launch of the Crew-3 mission, which was set to carry three astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station, was initially delayed due to high winds and rough seas. However, SpaceX leveraged the delay to launch the additional Starlink satellites, bringing the total number in orbit to 5,919. The crew rotation flight was rescheduled for Saturday at 11:16 p.m. local time to ensure a safe and successful mission.
In addition to these space-related achievements, recent news in the industry included the release of an unclassified Pentagon report on UFOs, Jupiter's moon Europa generating oxygen, and the successful arrival of four crew members to the International Space Station aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft. Reporting on these developments was veteran journalist Bill Harwood, who has been covering the U.S. space program since 1984.
With each successful launch and milestone reached, SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of space exploration and pave the way for future advancements in the industry. As the company looks ahead to more ambitious missions and endeavors, the world eagerly anticipates the next chapter in humanity's journey beyond Earth's atmosphere.