SpaceX just set a new launch record.
The company sent 21 Starlink internet satellites into orbit tonight (September 3) aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:47pm EDT (0247 GMT on September 4).
This was SpaceX’s 62nd orbital mission of 2023, setting a new record for most flights in a single year. according to Company founder and CEO Elon Musk. The old mark is set for 2022.
Related: Starlink Space Train: How to See and Track It in the Night Sky
Great job to the @SpaceX team as they successfully launched 61 Falcon missions this year! If tomorrow’s mission goes well, we will exceed last year’s number of flights. SpaceX has delivered roughly 80% of Earth’s total payload mass to orbit in 2023. China accounts for about 10% and the rest of the world about 10%.September 2, 2023
If all goes according to plan, the Falcon 9 first stage will return to Earth safely: It will land about 8.5 minutes after liftoff aboard the Just Read the Instructions drone ship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
This will be the tenth launch and landing of this particular booster, according to A SpaceX mission description.
The Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage will continue to fly, and eventually 21 Starlink satellites will be deployed into low Earth orbit (LEO) about 65 minutes after liftoff.
Today is a big day for SpaceX. The company also plans to bring back the four astronauts from the Crew-6 mission, who have been on the International Space Station (ISS) since March.
Crew-6’s Crew Dragon capsule, named Endeavour, is scheduled to depart the International Space Station shortly after 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT) today. It will fall into the ocean off the coast of Florida at about 12:17 a.m. EDT (0417 GMT). You can see these landmarks here on Space.com.