Falcon 9 Successfully Launches Intelsat’s Galaxy 33

Falcon 9 successfully launches Intelsat’s Galaxy 33 and 34 video relay satellites. SpaceX has successfully launched the Falcon 9 rocket into orbit.

Back-to-back scrub after one, SpaceX launched a pair of four-ton Intelsat communications satellites from Cape Canaveral on Saturday evening, the third flight of a Falcon 9 rocket this week.

The Falcon 9 rocket ignited nine kerosene-fueled Merlin 1D engines and lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 7:05 p.m. Saturday Eastern Daylight Time.

In less than a minute, the Falcon 9 rocket was propelled at the speed of sound when the nine main engines were swung east from Pad 40.

A little more than three days after Wednesday’s back-to-back launches, Falcon 9 successfully launched Intelsat’s Galaxy 33 and 34 video relay satellites.

In a Falcon 9 launch from Florida on Wednesday, a crew of four arrived at the International Space Station, followed by a second Falcon 9 launch from California with Starlink Internet satellites seven hours later — the shortest time interval between two Falcon 9 flights.

Dragon’s fifth operational manned spaceflight mission (Crew-5) launched.

Earlier on Wednesday, SpaceX and NASA launched Dragon’s fifth operational manned spaceflight mission (Crew-5) to the International Space Station from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The spacecraft carries 2 NASA cosmonauts, a Russian cosmonaut, and a Japanese cosmonaut.

It is the first time the Elon Musk-led company has launched a Russian astronaut on its vehicle, part of an exchange deal between NASA and Roscosmos.

The Crew-5 flight will have NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, serving as mission commander and pilot, respectively.

At the same time, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Koichi Wakata and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina will serve as mission specialists.

Over 3200 Starlink Satellite Launches.

Starlink is SpaceX’s broadband installation, which already serves hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

The company has so far launched more than 3200 Starlink satellites and is currently planning to launch many more satellites.

It is currently allowed to put 12,000 Starlink craft into orbit. While it has applied for permission to install 30,000 more satellites.

Another Starlink batch will move towards launch this week. If all goes according to planning, a Falcon 9 with 54 Starlinks will launch late Sunday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.