A rocket from Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX has launched 143 spacecraft into space. SpaceX claims this is a new record for the most spaceships deployed on a single mission.
According to SpaceX, the Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 10 a.m. EST on Sunday from the Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It flew south along the eastern coast of Florida on its way to space.
As part of SpaceX’s low cost access program, the reusable rocket conveyed 133 commercial and government spacecraft and 10 Starlink satellites to space.
SpaceX delayed the launch by a day because of unfavorable weather. On Jan. 22 Musk, also chief executive of Tesla Inc., wrote on Twitter: “Launching many small satellites for a wide range of customers tomorrow. Excited about offering low-cost access to orbit for small companies!”
SpaceX has previously launched to orbit more than 800 satellites of the several thousand needed to offer broadband internet globally, a $10 billion investment it estimates could generate $30 billion annually to help fund Musk’s interplanetary rocket program, called Starship.
