Austin, Texas (CNN Business) A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried 143 satellites into orbit on a jam-packed rideshare mission Sunday, setting a new world record for the most satellites launched by a single rocket. The company said at the time it will dedicate "regularly scheduled" launches of its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket to carrying large batches of small satellites, or "smallsats," rather than focusing on one large, primary payload. Smallsats have seen a meteoric rise in popularity over the past few years. They range in size from as small as a smartphone to as large as a kitchen refrigerator. And as they've grown more advanced, hoards of businesses have entered the market promising to deliver services using new smallsat technologies.

Source: CNN January 24, 2021 15:42 UTC