(Reuters) – A veteran rocket from spacex carrier Elon Musk, billionaire entrepreneur, launched 143 spacecraft into space on Sunday, according to the company a new record for most spacecraft deployed on a single mission.
The Falcon 9 rocket hoisted at 10:00 a.m. EST from the Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The company flew south along the east coast of Florida en route to space.
The reusable rocket transported 133 commercial and government spaces and 10 Starlink satellites into space – part of the company’s SmallSat Rideshare program, which the company says provides access to space for small satellite operators.
SpaceX delayed the launch one day due to unfavorable weather. On January 22, Musk, also CEO of Tesla Inc., wrote on Twitter: ‘Launch very small satellites for a wide range of customers tomorrow. Excited about offering cheap access to the job for small businesses! ”
SpaceX had earlier launched to orbit more than 800 of the thousands of satellites needed to host broadband internet worldwide. A $ 10 billion investment that he estimates could generate $ 30 billion annually to fund Musk’s interplanetary missile program, called Starship.
Reported by Helen Coster; Edited by Daniel Wallis