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SpaceX's Starlink Project To Put Another 60 Satellites Into Orbit Tonight

When NASA put it out there that they would no longer be sending humans into orbit back in 2011, they encouraged private companies to fill that gap. Among the contenders were aerospace veterans Boeing, and a couple of newer faces in Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin and Elon Musk's SpaceX.

Musk's venture has been the clear winner in that race, with the SpaceX team making history by sending humans up to the International Space Station in a commercially produced vehicle for the first time ever.

While that is a massive accomplishment well worth celebrating, it's far from the only iron in SpaceX's ambitious fire.

By sending astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley into orbit from American soil for the first time in almost a decade, SpaceX has reignited a public interest in space flight.

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There have always been passionate enthusiasts, but the SpaceX launch captured the imagination of the general public as well, a rare moment of unity and awe.

There's an appetite for more, too, and people don't have to wait very long to watch SpaceX send its next mission above the clouds, with a launch scheduled for June 3 at 8:55 pm ET, weather permitting.

Of course, this launch won't be manned, but it's part of another one of SpaceX's projects.

This launch will see another 60 satellites put into low-Earth orbit for the Starlink project. Starlink seeks to establish a network of satellites that will be able to provide high-speed internet access to even the most remote areas of the globe.

So far, SpaceX has 420 Starlink satellites already orbiting the planet.

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So this latest launch will bring the total to 480. SpaceX plans to have Starlink operational for the Northern U.S. and Canada in 2020, and to have near-global coverage by late 2021.

Not everybody has welcomed the Starlink project.

It has faced significant opposition from astronomers, as Digital Trends reported.

Adding so many satellites to orbit clutters up the sky for them, and the satellites also have the potential to interfere with the radio wavelengths astronomers monitor. SpaceX has experimented with some solutions to their concerns, including adding a less reflective coating so they'll be less bright at night.

There are a few ways to tune into SpaceX's launch.

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And to any future launches as well. SpaceX has a dedicated page where it webcasts its launches, and there's also a YouTube channel as well.

And as always, it's a good idea to monitor SpaceX's Twitter just in case there are any last minute changes or updates.

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