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SpaceX Finally Launches Italian Satellite After Several Failed Attempts
3 Feb, 2022 / 08:58 am / OMNES Media LLC

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SpaceX was able to successfully launch an Italian satellite into orbit, followed by a rare and successful landing of the rocket's first stage at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Elon Musk founded SpaceX intending to change the aerospace business and bring cheap spaceflight to the masses. After numerous failed attempts, SpaceX was able to successfully launch an Italian satellite into orbit, followed by a rare and successful landing of the rocket's first stage at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The launch had been postponed three times owing to weather, and a fourth time after a cruise liner came within range of the launch area just before the scheduled liftoff on Sunday.

The rocket and cargo were ready to launch, but the Coast Guard was unable to keep the cruise liner out of the no-go zone, forcing the launch to be canceled.

A Falcon Heavy side booster that was converted into a Falcon 9 configuration was used to launch Italy's COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation (CSG-2) satellite into orbit. The landing of the rocket's first stage was the 104th orbital-class rocket booster recovery.

As per the reports, the project is being funded by the Italian Space Agency, which expects to manage the spacecraft from the Fucino Space Center, some 80 miles east of Rome. The first-stage booster landed safely at Cape Canaveral's Landing Zone 1. Thales Alenia Space, a French company, created the satellite, which delivers precise photos of the Earth's surface.

The photos are used to gather intelligence for defense and security, follow ships, and monitor catastrophes, forests, and agriculture. In the year 2022, SpaceX has set a big goal of 52 launches.

However, the delays throw a pall over the project's goal and refocus attention on the need for greater planning. If SpaceX meets its goal, it will be the most launches the firm has ever made in a single year. SpaceX conducted a total of 31 launches in 2021, which was a new high for the firm.