High-tech entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX company has launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida on a mission to carry the first batch of five dozen small satellites into low-Earth orbit for the new Starlink internet service.
The rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at about 10:30pm (local time) Thursday, marking a milestone in a global enterprise aimed at generating cash for Musk's larger space ambitions.
The launch came a week after two back-to-back countdowns for the mission were scrubbed - once due to high winds and the other for updates.
The Falcon 9 was due to release its cargo of 60 satellites into orbit about an hour after Thursday's launch. Each one weighs 227kg, making it the heaviest payload for any SpaceX rocket to date.
Those satellites are designed to form the initial phase of a planned constellation capable of beaming signals for a high-speed internet service.
Speaking to reporters last week, Musk said Starlink was pivotal in helping pay for his larger goals of developing a new spacecraft to fly paying customers to the moon and for eventually colonising Mars.
At least 12 launches carrying similar payloads were needed to achieve constant internet coverage of most of the world, Musk said.
Musk faces stiff competition. In February, Airbus SE-backed OneWeb launched its own clutch of satellites, while LeoSat Enterprises and Canada's Telesat are also working to build data networks.
In each network, the tiny satellites orbit closer to Earth than traditional communications satellites, a technological shift made possible by advances in laser technology and computer chips.
Musk said SpaceX would begin approaching customers later this year or next year. As many as 2000 satellites will be launched per year, with the ultimate objective of placing up to 12,000 into orbit.
