Question: Which of the following statements are correct in reference to the Falcon 9 rocket launch?
1) It was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California by NASA.
2) The rocket carried a constellation of 10 Iridium Communication Satellite.
3) This was the eighth and final launch of the Iridium NEXT project.
4) The fleet consists of a total of 75 satellites.
Correct option:
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (b)
Related facts:
- A private American space company SpaceX launched Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and delivered 10 satellites to low-Earth orbit for Iridium.
- The 10 satellite launched represents the eighth and final unit of Iridium NEXT satellite launched by SpaceX. This is final in a series of 75 next-generation communication satellite owned and operated by Iridium.
Iridium NEXT project:
- The whole project of the Iridium NEXT roughly worth $3 billion. Out of the total of 75 satellites, 66 will be operational and 9 will serve as in-orbit spares.
- Iridium NEXT will replace the world’s largest commercial satellite network of low-earth orbit satellites in what will be one of the largest “tech upgrades” in history.
- Iridium NEXT will enable the development of new and innovative products and solutions across Iridium’s vast partner ecosystem. Iridium Certus, the next-generation multi-service communications platform enabled by Iridium NEXT, will deliver faster speeds and higher throughputs across multiple industry verticals.
- Iridium is the only mobile voice and data satellite communications network that spans the entire globe. Iridium enables real time connections between people, organizations and assets to and from anywhere.
Falcon 9:
- Falcon 9 is a two-staged rocket of designed and developed by SpaceX. It is the first orbital class rocket capable of re-flight which reduces cost of projects.
- It consists of 9 Engines and powered by Merlin engines with Burn Time of 162 seconds.
- Falcon 9 made history in 2012 when it delivered Dragon into the correct orbit for rendezvous with the International Space Station, making SpaceX the first commercial company ever to visit the station.
Links:
https://www.aerospace-technology.com/news/spacex-launches-iridium-satellites/
https://www.spacex.com/sites/spacex/files/spacex_iridium1_press_kit.pdf
https://www.spacex.com/falcon9