53 satellites aboard rocket to begin beaming broadband signals to consumers.
53 satellites aboard rocket to begin beaming broadband signals to consumers.
SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket, carrying 53 Starlink internet satellites and leaving behind an illuminated trail that has been referred to as a “space jellyfish.” Early-morning stargazers across the Southeast on May 6 were able to catch a view of the rocket in the sky and the colorful cloud trailing it.
The rocket successfully lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., at 5:42 a.m. EDT Friday. Luminous hues of blue and orange were trailed by the glow of the sun hitting the rocket exhaust in the predawn hours. As the rocket traveled overhead, a glowing cosmic trail was left behind for those who were awake to see it.
“The mesmerizing, rocket-created clouds cannot be seen during every launch, just those that occur shortly before sunrise and shortly after sunset,” AccuWeather meteorologist Brian Lada said. “As the rocket climbs through the Earth’s atmosphere, it eventually emerges from Earth’s shadow and is illuminated by sunlight.”
SPACE JELLYFISH
From today’s SpaceX launch. Beautiful pic.twitter.com/98mzIGHDOm
— Chris Combs (@DrChrisCombs) May 6, 2022
The extraordinary sight is not all that uncommon in Florida and parts of the southeastern U.S. With few clouds in the sky and a predawn launch, a space jellyfish is likely to be seen.
According to Florida Today, the effect that produces the space jellyfish can, in some instances, last for more than an hour, offering plenty of time to snap a great photo.
The phenomenon can be seen in other places where rockets are launched. In December 2017, a space jellyfish appeared in the sky over Southern California after SpaceX launched a rocket after sunset about 130 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
“SpaceX has launched 2,494 Starlink satellites to date, including spacecraft that were decommissioned or suffered failures. More than 2,100 of those satellites are in orbit and functioning as of this week, according to a list maintained by Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist who closely tracks spaceflight activity,” the Spaceflight Now website says.
Falcon 9 is partially reusable. Friday marked the 12th launch for this Falcon 9’s first stage, tying a SpaceX reuse record.
“After reaching their operational orbit,” the satellites launched from it “will enter commercial service and begin beaming broadband signals to consumers, who can purchase Starlink service and connect to the network with a SpaceX-supplied ground terminal,” Spaceflight Now reported.
Produced in association with AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
Edited by Richard Pretorius and Matthew B. Hall
