Does it pay off to be ambitious? For SpaceX, it just might…
But there was a time when it seemed like SpaceX was too ambitious for its own good.
It had a hard time meeting scheduled launches. And more often than not, the launches that were scheduled weren’t successful.
But all that changed in 2017 when SpaceX was able to successfully pull off 18 missions within the year.
Last month, we saw SpaceX have a really successful launch with its Falcon Heavy rocket. The success of that launch paved the way for an ambitious future for the company. Well, at least an ambitious year…
A recent news report suggests that SpaceX has planned five Falcon 9 launches over the course of a month. These launches will begin in late March 2018 and peak in April 2018.
According to NASASpaceFlight’s Chris Gebhardt, the company is trying to significantly increase the number of its launches in order to achieve its ultimate goal of 30 Falcon 9 launches within 2018.
Gebhardt reports:
Based on the Range-requested dates submitted by SpaceX to the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, the current plan calls for all five of the upcoming Falcon 9 missions to launch within a one month period, beginning with Iridium NEXT-5 from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, on 29 March…
SpaceX is feeling confident when it comes to its launches. It’s significantly increasing the number of launches that it’s scheduled for this year. It even plans to launch Falcon Heavy in as early as June. That’s only three months away and four months since its last launch.
The first three launches are planned to happen over the span of seven days. SpaceX will use its Falcon 9 rockets to carry a variety of payloads, including communication satellites and resupply missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
On April 2nd, a launch will take off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), which will be sending a resupply up to the ISS. And another launch is scheduled for three days later on April 5th. That launch will send the Bangabandhu-1 satellite to space.
If all goes well, and these three launches stay on schedule, it will be a huge mark of success for SpaceX…
SpaceX Is Bringing the Internet to the Entire World
Staying on schedule with these planned launches would greatly benefit not only SpaceX but also the entire world.
The company has already taken its first steps in finding a way to globally connect the world to the internet.
There are a lot of places throughout the world that have little to no service. SpaceX wants that to change — it wants global internet.
And that means a high-speed service that’s not only available in cities and in rural areas covered by cell phone towers but also everywhere.
On February 22nd, the company launched into orbit a pair of test satellites that’ll do just that. The two satellites have been given the names Tintin A and Tintin B.
This test is part of SpaceX’s Starlink initiative. The project aims to place thousands of satellites in low-Earth orbit to supply broadband internet to users on the ground.
This would mean that people who are in remote locations, in-flight aircraft, and ships at sea would be connected to the internet.
If all goes well with Tintin A and Tintin B, SpaceX could start launching more than 4,000 Starlink satellites in 2019. But it could take a few years for the first 800 satellites to make the network operational.
But what’s important is that the company is making moves to expand its business into multiple directions.
Once the satellites are operational, people could start buying internet plans from SpaceX, rather than from cellular networks, cable companies, or phone companies.
Cellular networks, cable companies, and phone companies will be feeling the pressure and the competition.
Until next time,
Jennifer Clark
Pro Trader Today