SpaceX launches Maxar satellite with NASA TEMPO module into orbit for $90 million
It will be used to track air pollution in North America
SpaceX has completed its 23rd successful launch since the beginning of 2023. The Falcon 9 rocket launched the Intelsat40e satellite from Maxar Technologies into orbit.
The launch took place on April 7 at 07:30 (EET). This was the fourth launch for the first stage, which returned to Earth and landed in the Atlantic Ocean. The unmanned platform A Shortfall Of Gravitas was waiting for it there. It happened 9 minutes after the launch.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/rz5nqXReDC
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 7, 2023
About half an hour after the launch, Intelsat40e was delivered by the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket to its destination, from where it continued to move on its own. The satellite is located at an altitude of 36,000 km from the equator. Its position relative to the Earth will not change. This will allow the spacecraft to take images over North America.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship pic.twitter.com/dThsFpG0xL
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 7, 2023
To recognize pollution, Intelsat40e was equipped with the Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) module. It was developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in cooperation with Ball Aerospace. The space agency will pay $210 million for the program, although the instrument itself costs $90 million.
Deployment of @Intelsat IS-40e confirmed pic.twitter.com/LSKxNia9R7
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 7, 2023
TEMPO will run for at least 20 months. At least, that’s the duration of the module’s main mission. As for the Intelsat40e satellite, its service life is expected to be 15 years.
Watch Falcon 9 launch the @Intelsat IS-40e mission to orbit → https://t.co/bJFjLCiTbK https://t.co/BpvIdcFzfU
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 7, 2023
