SpaceX's Falcon 9 Sets Record with Three Successful Launches in 20-Hour
In a remarkable feat, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has accomplished three major launches within a span of just 20 hours, showcasing the company's efficiency and versatility in space missions. The impressive series of launches began with the successful deployment of a four-member crew to the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday morning.
The Crew-8 mission, initiated at 10:53 p.m. EST on Sunday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, includes NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin. Notably, this marks the first spaceflight for Epps, Dominick, and Grebenkin, while Barratt embarks on his third stint aboard the ISS.
Following this crewed mission, SpaceX's Transporter-10 mission took off at 5:05 p.m. ET on Monday from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This mission involved launching 53 satellites, including True Anomaly's Jackal spacecraft, various cubesats, nanosats, and the Aires satellite manufactured by Apex.
Continuing the rapid pace of launches, SpaceX's third achievement involved the deployment of 23 Starlink internet satellites at 6:56 p.m. ET on Monday from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The Starlink constellation now comprises over 5,000 operational satellites in orbit, with regulatory approval for up to 12,000 satellites.
In a tweet, SpaceX celebrated the unprecedented triple accomplishment, stating, "Three Falcon 9 launches in 20 hours, carrying to orbit: 4 crewmembers headed to the @Space_Station; 53 rideshare spacecraft; 23 @Starlink satellites". This series of successful missions reinforces SpaceX's leading position in the space industry and its commitment to diverse and frequent launches.
