
SpaceX launches record-setting mission without a hitch
Jan. 24 (UPI) -- Elon Musk's SpaceX launched 143 small satellites into space Sunday morning, setting a world record for the most spacecraft sent to orbit on a single mission. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellites for the Transporter-1 mission lifted off at 10 a.m. EST under partially cloudy skies -- but satisfactory enough for a safe launch -- toward a somewhat rare polar orbit, controllers said. Advertisement With more than a dozen customers, the mission's largest number of satellites came from San Francisco-based Planet (formerly Planet Labs), with 38 SuperDove spacecraft for Earth observation and imaging. [embedded content] SpaceX packed 10 its Starlink communications satellites on board, which were the last to be deployed into orbit at 11:32 a.m. EST. The also rocket carried thre...