SpaceX launches 21 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit

SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink satellites into orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Saturday. 

The Falcon 9 rocket carried 21 Starlink satellites toward low Earth orbit. 

Thirteen of them were equipped with Direct to Cell technology, with the goal of eliminating cellular dead zones for mobile devices across the world. 

The satellites were released around an hour into the rocket launch so that they could begin moving into specific orbits as part of SpaceX’s growing fleet. 

Starlink now has thousands of satellites in orbit, providing internet to over 100 countries.  

While SpaceX says it’s helping connect remote areas, some worry about the growing number of satellites in space and their impact on the environment. 

Critics raise concerns about space debris, atmospheric pollution and the risk of collision in low Earth orbit as satellite numbers grow. 

Additional sources • EBU