SpaceX Starlink launch: How to watch lift-off and satellite train live today
A 'string of bright pearls' will be visible in the skies above the UK this week, weather permitting
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Your support makes all the difference.After several delays, SpaceX is planning to launch the latest batch of its Starlink satellites this week.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 57 Starlink satellites and two BlackSky Global satellites is scheduled to lift off at 11.59am local time (4.59pm BST) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday.
The launch will be live streamed through SpaceX’s website and official YouTube channel, while the satellites themselves are expected to be visible in the night’s sky over the coming days and weeks.
The satellites form part of Elon Musk’s plans to beam high-speed internet back down to Earth, and are typically launched in batches of 60. This week’s launch will carry three less than usual to make room for BlackSky’s geospatial imaging satellites.
It is the tenth launch of Starlink satellites, bringing the total number in orbit close to 600. SpaceX eventually plans to create a 12,000-strong constellation in order to deliver broadband to remote and under-served areas of Earth.
The Starlink satellites are small in size but highly reflective, prompting criticism from some astronomers who claim that the so-called mega-constellation could disrupt radio and optical observations of space.
Mr Musk said the company is taking "key steps" to reduce the satellites' visibility, including painting surfaces black and using a twisting technique to make the solar panels less reflective.
Some astronomers have compared their appearance to a "string of bright pearls" moving steadily across the sky, while precious launches have also caused spikes in UFO reports.
One website dedicated to tracking the satellites in real-time lists several potential viewing opportunities this week.
FindStarlink.com states that batches from previous launches will be visible from the UK every night this week, weather permitting.
Within hours of Wednesday's launch, Starlink satellites will appear travelling across the night's sky from west to east. They will appear 10 degrees above the horizon and will take approximately 6 minutes to travel across the sky.
Forecasts for Wednesday and Thursday are currently not favourable for viewing the satellite trains across large parts of the UK, however skies are expected to clear on Friday and Saturday.
SpaceX is yet to announce a precise launch date for the internet service but is aiming to make it available in Canada and northern parts of the US in 2020.
The firm's website states that it will achieve "near glbal coverage of the populated world" by 2021.
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