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SpaceX launches Turksat 5A communications satellite for Turkey, lands rocket:
SpaceX kicked off what is expected to be another launch-packed year by delivering a Turkish communications satellite to orbit tonight (Jan. 7).
A 230-ft-tall (70 m) Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Space Launch Complex 40 here at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 9:15 p.m. EST (0215 GMT on Jan. 8), about 45 minutes into a planned four-hour window, carrying the Turksat 5A satellite into space. The brief delay was due to a downrange tracking issue, SpaceX said during its live launch broadcast.
[...] Today's flight was the fourth launch for this particular Falcon 9 first stage. The booster, designated B1060, previously lofted an upgraded GPS III satellite for the U.S. Space Force in June 2020, followed by launches of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites in September and October.
[...] the Falcon 9 deposited the 7,700-lb. (3,500 kilograms) Turksat 5A satellite into orbit about 33 minutes after liftoff. The spacecraft is designed to operate for approximately 15 years, providing broadband coverage to Turkey, the Middle East, Europe and portions of Africa.
SpaceX will also launch the spacecraft's counterpart, Turksat 5B, later this year.
(Score: 1) by TommyJ on Monday January 11 2021, @03:14PM
Thanks for sharing. To me, this is further proof that the satellite launch market is huge. And it is constantly growing. Recently I found an article on the growth rate of the satellite market at 20 percent per year until at least 2025. And that's great. This will give us new players. And it will give us new reasons for accomplishment. Obviously, there is a demand for new companies that can provide similar services in every niche. From launching small satellites into orbit to fairly large