SpaceX launches Maxar 3 mission, high-resolution commercial satellites
The Maxar 3 mission, which carried both WorldView Legion satellites into mid-inclination Earth orbit, lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at about 6:13 p.m. EST.
"SpaceX has confirmed that it is now set to launch our fifth and sixth WorldView Legion satellites from Kennedy Space Center on Feb. 4," Maxar Technologies wrote earlier Monday in a post on X, along with photos of the satellites.
Approximately 47 minutes after liftoff, the first WorldView Legion satellite was to be deployed. The second satellite was to be deployed about an hour and 50 minutes into the flight.
The two WorldView Legion satellites were shipped to Florida from Maxar Space Systems' factory in Palo Alto, Calif., in early January. The satellites will complete Maxar's first block of satellites, once released into orbit.
This is the fourth flight for the Falcon 9 first stage booster 1086, which will support Tuesday's launch. The first stage booster previously launched GOES-U and two Starlink missions. Following stage separation eight minutes after launch, Falcon 9 will land on Landing Zone at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which could cause a sonic boom across Central Florida.
There are currently four WorldView Legion satellites operating in mid-inclination Earth orbit and six other satellites in a sun-synchronous orbit, according to Maxar Technologies.
"With satellites now in sun-synchronous and mid-inclination orbits, the Maxar constellation has more capacity for tasking than ever before -- an increase of 85% over the mid-latitudes of Earth!" Maxar Technologies wrote in December in a post on X.
Earlier Tuesday, Falcon 9 launched 21 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The satellites, which launched at 5:15 a.m., included 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities.
Direct to Cell capabilities allow Starlink satellites to "function as space-based cell towers, providing cellular service directly to standard LTE phones," according to SpaceX. Direct to Cell will enable global data service, texting and voice calls while "enhancing connectivity in remote or underserved areas."
Tuesday morning's flight was the 21st for the first stage booster, which previously launched OneWeb 1, SES 18+19, Eutelsat HOTBIRD-F1, CRS-24 and 17 Starlink missions.
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