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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Science
Anna MacSwan

Space X: Elon Musk set to launch 60 more Starlink satellites into space on Friday

Elon Musk is set to launch another 60 Starlink satellites into orbit on Friday.

A Falcon 9 rocket is set to blast off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA at 4.18pm, according to Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre website.

The launch had originally been scheduled for today, but was pushed back due to weather conditions.

The controversial Space X project aims to beam low-cost Wi-Fi to remote areas by using thousands of satellites.

More than 420 probes have already been launched into space, and the network is eventually due to total 12,000.

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An update on the website says: "SpaceX is now targeting June 26, 2020 4:18 PM ET for the 10th launch of Starlink.

"SpaceX is scheduled to launch 60 Starlink satellites from a Falcon 9.

"This will be the 10th mission in support of the constellation of networked satellites known as Starlink.

"The goal of Starlink is to create a network that will help provide internet services to those who are not yet connected, and to provide reliable and affordable internet across the globe."

During the launch, the unmanned Falcon 9 rocket will carry the satellites into orbit, before attempting to land at sea.

The brainchild of tech billionaire Elon Musk, Space X fires the probs into space in batches of 60 at a time.

The satellites, which are solar-powered, usually orbit around 340 miles above Earth.

Starlink explains: “With performance that far surpasses that of traditional satellite internet, and a global network unbounded by ground infrastructure limitations, Starlink will deliver high speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable.”

However, several astronomers have raised concerns that one of the satellites could pass in front of a telescope and obscure an image.

Brits who want to watch the launch in real time can do so via a livestream on Space X's YouTube channel, or Nasa's TV website.
 

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