tag

The American space-technology company SpaceX conducted a dual-launch operation this week, dispatching two batches of Starlink Internet-satellites aboard two Falcon 9 rockets in the same launch window.In a statement, the company said the first Falcon 9 took off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying 29 satellites into low Earth orbit. The first-stage booster successfully landed on a SpaceX drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean about 8.5 minutes after liftoff.Within the same launch window, a second Falcon 9 launched a further batch of 29 satellites. Its first-stage booster also achieved a successful drone-ship landing, while the upper stage deployed the satellites on schedule.These missions advance the Starlink network, a vast satellite constellation aiming to provide global Internet coverage; currently, thousands of satellites are already in orbit. SpaceX said such launches help maintain the constellation's frequent and rapid replenishment.The company described the flights as part of a "record pace" of Falcon 9 launches this year as it scales up capacity and reduces turnaround time between missions.

South Korea has launched its fifth homegrown military reconnaissance satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from a US space base in Florida, the country's Ministry of National Defense announced Sunday. The Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as scheduled and successfully placed the satellite into orbit about 14 minutes after liftoff, according to the ministry.According to Yonhap News Agency, the new satellite, equipped with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system, is the fifth and final satellite under South Korea's plan to deploy five spy satellites by the end of this year. The constellation aims to enhance real-time monitoring of North Korea and reduce Seoul's reliance on US satellite imagery.Operating a cluster of five reconnaissance satellites will enable the rapid and precise detection of potential North Korean military activities, the ministry said, noting that the system will reinforce South Korea's three-axis deterrence structure — which includes preemptive strike, missile defense, and retaliatory capabilities.Once all five satellites are operational, South Korea is expected to achieve round-the-clock surveillance, with the ability to observe North Korea roughly every two hours.South Korea launched its first military spy satellite in December 2023, equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors capable of capturing high-resolution imagery. It has since launched three more SAR-equipped satellites capable of collecting data in all weather conditions and at any time of day.