SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida on Tuesday morning (May 28).
A Falcon 9 rocket launched 23 Starlink spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Tuesday at 10:24 a.m. EDT (1424 GMT) during a four-hour window beginning at 7:30 a.m. EDT (1130 GMT). GMT).
The launch was originally scheduled to take place on Monday (May 27), but SpaceX backed out of the attempt.
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The Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage returned to Earth about 8 minutes after launch, landing on the A Shortfall of Gravitas drone in the Atlantic Ocean.
This was the tenth launch and landing of this particular first stage, according to A SpaceX mission description. Six of its nine flights so far have been Starlink missions.
The Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage continued to carry 23 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit, where they were expected to be deployed about 65 minutes after liftoff.
Tuesday’s launch was already SpaceX’s 53rd orbital mission of the year, and the 37th mission of 2024 dedicated to building the massive Starlink constellation, which currently consists of Nearly 6,000 satellites are operational.
And there are many more flights coming: SpaceX plans to launch about 150 missions this year, company representatives said.