In pictures: Elon Musk's SpaceX lights up NZ's skies with satellites
Friday, 20 March 2020
Elon Musk's SpaceX has put another batch of Starlink satellites in space, lining New Zealand's sky with lights on Friday night.
The satellites are part of the company's plan to create a massive constellation of small broadband satellites to provide internet services across the globe.
The company launched its first batch of 60 satellites in May 2019, and hopes to finish the project in 2027.
By then, the network could include up to 42,000 satellites - there are almost 300 satellites in orbit currently.
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The plan worried some scientists, with many concerned about the future of astronomy.
It is feared the satellites may become too bright and potentially form a 'megaconstellation' that blots out the stars.
But for many star gazers, it was an interesting thing to see.
In February, Wayne Schrieber of Whanganui happened to step outside at just the right time and saw a 'huge streak' slowly making its way across the heavens.
This was followed by a long string of evenly spaced lights moving west to east.
'I first thought it was a big piece of space junk that had bits falling off it and they were following the same trajectory.'
The satellites caught the attention of many Stuff readers. Check out the pictures below.