During a live stream of its latest Falcon 9 launch, SpaceX‘s launch director said ‘time to let American broomstick fly’, as the rocket lifted off.
This was a direct shot at the Russian space agency boss Dmitry Rogozin, who said last week that Americans could ‘fly on their broomsticks’, when banning the sale of Russian rocket engines to the US. Roscosmos also withdrew technical support.
These engines are used by United Launch Alliance and Northrop Grumman for some of their rockets, but not by SpaceX, which builds its own engines in the US.
The unnamed SpaceX’s launch director was speaking a minute before the rocket, carrying the next batch of Starlink satellites into orbit, was due to launch, declaring: ‘Time to let the American broomstick fly and hear the sounds of freedom.’
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk described the Falcon 9 rocket as a dependable ‘American broomstick’ on Twitter
This is the tenth launch for SpaceX in as many weeks, keeping them on track to launch once per week throughout 2022, breaking a company record.
The two-stage Falcon 9 put another 48 Starlink satellites into orbit, launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 8:45 am ET.
Soon after launch, the first stage of the rocket came back down to Earth and made a smooth touchdown on the SpaceX droneship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’, allowing it to be re-used again in a future flight.
‘Another 48 Starlinks just reached orbit’, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk, declared on Twitter shortly after the launch.
This is the tenth launch for SpaceX in as many weeks, keeping them on track to launch once per week throughout 2022, breaking a company record
The two-stage Falcon 9 put another 48 Starlink satellites into orbit, launching from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 8:45 am ET
Starlink is the largest constellation of satellites in orbit, with 2,000 a few hundred miles above the Earth, working together to provide internet to remote areas.
The more SpaceX launches, the better the global coverage, and the firm has asked for permission to put over 30,000 in space in the coming decades.
This low-latency, satellite broadband network has proved vital in recent months, first by helping reconnect Tonga to the internet after the massive Earthquake and tsunami, and now to get Ukraine online after the invasion by Russian forces.
Rogozin has made a number of comments on Twitter about sanctions imposed on the Russian space program, after forces entered Ukraine on February 24.
This was a direct shot at the Russian space agency boss Dmitry Rogozin, who said last week that Americans could ‘fly on their broomsticks’, when banning the sale of Russian rocket engines to the US. Roscosmos also withdrew technical support
The unnamed SpaceX’s launch director was speaking a minute before the rocket, carrying the next batch of Starlink satellites into orbit, was due to launch, declaring: ‘Time to let the American broomstick fly and hear the sounds of freedom’
This has included suggesting Russia could withdraw from the ISS and drop it on the US, calling a former NASA astronaut a moron, celebrating the removal of US flags from a Soyuz rocket, and hinting Russia might leave a NASA astronaut on the ISS.
Musk recently re-prioritized SpaceX, to focus on ensuring the security of its Starlink network in Ukraine, after concerns over potential hacking attacks from Russia.
He has also responded to comments made by Rogozine, particularly the ‘broomstick remark’, calling the Falcon 9 the workhorse vehicle of SpaceX’s reusable fleet, declaring it a dependable ‘American broomstick’.
To date SpaceX have launched 148 rockets, landed 110 first stages and reflown 87 first stages, as part of its effort to bring down the cost of launch.
Starlink is the largest constellation of satellites in orbit, with 2,000 a few hundred miles above the Earth, working together to provide internet to remote areas
Today’s launch was the fourth flight and landing of this Falcon 9 first stage, having previously launched Earth observing satellites, and a US Military test flight.
It made its first trip to space as a side booster on the Falcon Heavy rocket, and was then converted to become the first stage of a Falcon 9.
This latest launch is 37 days after it was last used, and after being returned to shore by the drone ship, it will be refurbished ready for another launch.
The second stage of the Falcon 9 reached a parking orbit just under 9 minutes after take-off, then 48 minutes later, coasting halfway around the world, it fired its burners to reach a deployment location.
At this point, about an hour later, it deployed the flat-packed Starlink satellites, each weighing about a quarter of a ton, to about 189 miles above the Earth.
The satellites extended solar arrays, and made use of ion thrusters, to get to its operational orbit 335 miles above the Earth.
