SpaceX marks its first launch of 2024 with the liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket that is carrying a Swedish internet satellite known as Ovzon-3.
The satellite that the space company is carrying this time is a communications satellite for Sweden-based Ovzon. The Falcon 9 rocket took off at the opening of a 10-minute launch window that began at 6:04 p.m. EST.
SpaceX Carries Swedish Internet Satellite Into Orbit
The launch marks the second Falcon 9 flight in less than 24 hours and follows the launch of 21 Starlink satellites from California on Tuesday. The mission includes sending the satellite to geostationary orbit and it is the first, privately-funded Swedish satellite launched.
In a statement, the Chief Marketing Officer for Ovzon, Kristofer Alm said that Sweden has a strong history with the satellite area. However, the latest launch marks the first for the country and he expressed his pride with the achievement.
After the Wednesday launch, the Swedish satellite will spend the next three months traveling to its orbital slot of 59.7 East. After it reaches its destination, Ovzon-3 will begin its full testing campaign. The mission plan is that by mid-2024, the satellite will become fully operational, as per SpaceFlight Now.
Alm added that the good thing is that they are not yet finished and will work on adding more capabilities to the mission. He noted that some of these would be customer-driven and some will be done because they are already on their roadmap.
At its core, the Swedish internet satellite is designed for critical missions with so-called near-peer capabilities. Alm argued that the idea is for the Ovzon-3 to be operable without being reliant on the ground segment of the architecture, which would make it more resistant to jamming or other intrusive operations.
The recently launched satellite features five steerable spot beams that allow it to adjust where it would deliver the greatest user capacity and will function with Ovzon's suite of satellite terminals. Alm said that defense is their main target market for the satellite because it is where they have been most successful.
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Successful Starlink Mission
The area where Ovzon-3 will be stationed is located roughly 22,200 miles above our planet's surface. At that particular altitude, orbital speed matches Earth's rotational speed, which allows for satellites to "hover" over the same patch of ground continuously, according to Space.
SpaceX is planning more launches in the future and the company's representatives said that they aim to launch 144 orbital missions in 2024. That number, if achieved, would smash the record that the company set last year, which was 96.
The launch of the Swedish internet satellite comes after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk celebrated the success of the latest Starlink mission. It was because of the launch of the Direct-to-Cell satellite of Starlink that is expected to streamline internet connectivity for all its users.
The 21 satellites that were recently launched include six Direct-to-Cell satellites. The company also confirmed at 10:20 a.m. on the day of the launch that the satellites were in position. The new satellites are designed to provide coverage to text, internet, and mobile networks "wherever you see the sky," said the Hindustan Times.
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