"PAZ is intended to not only address security and defense needs, but also other needs of a civilian nature," the Spain-based satellite operator Hisdesat said in a press release ahead of the launch. "It will be able to take over one hundred 1-meter resolution daytime and nighttime images a day in any weather conditions."
Falcon 9 and PAZ are vertical on Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Weather is 90% favorable for tomorrow's launch at 6:17 a.m. PST, 14:17 UTC. pic.twitter.com/bL1VjHmIhV
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 20, 2018
Designed for a five-and-half-year mission, PAZ it will orbit the Earth 15 times daily in a quasi-polar orbit that will cover the entire Earth with an average revisit time of 24 hours, the release said.
Successful deployment of PAZ satellite to low-Earth orbit confirmed. pic.twitter.com/xOEuyaFrcZ
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 22, 2018
Spain’s National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) is the satellite's owner, and will be responsible for overseeing its ground control services, the release added.
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SpaceX first announced Starlink internet constellation in 2015. The project with the help of satellites in place of traditional infrastructure will provide high-speed wideband internet access around the world.
SpaceX's filings with the US Federal Communications Commission point out that the constellation will be used for fixed satellite services (FSS), such as backhaul for transmitting data around the globe. The space-based architecture could be used to assist bring faster internet access to more remote regions of the planet in the future.
