SpaceX reached a new milestone with its Starlink high-speed internet program during today’s Falcon 9 launch.
At 11:33 a.m. EDT, SpaceX launched 21 more Starlink satellites from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, just one day after unfavorable weather conditions delayed takeoff. The Falcon 9 first-stage took off from Space Launch Complex 40.
The 21 satellites officially mark the 7,000 mark for the Starlink program. The total is now 7,001 satellites, as the previous successful launch marked 6,980 total in low Earth orbit.
The latest batch also included 13 Direct-to-Cell satellites, which provide internet straight to smartphones. SpaceX confirmed that in its post-launch press release on Thursday afternoon.
The 7,000 satellite threshold is confirmed by Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist who has tracked the number of Starlinks in the sky with each launch. The number was first reported by Space.com.
Falcon 9 delivers 21 @Starlink satellites, including 13 with Direct to Cell Capabilities, to low-Earth orbit from Florida pic.twitter.com/FBNZTVAcrG
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 5, 2024
Following the successful separation, the Falcon 9 used in the launch returned to Earth and landed on the ‘Just Read the Instructions’ droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. This was the 15th launch with this particular first-stage booster. Nine of the fifteen were Starlink launches.
Falcon 9 lands on the Just Read The Instructions droneship pic.twitter.com/2LsaQ4ZMTb
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 5, 2024
This particular Starlink launch was the third since an anomaly occurred with a Falcon 9 first stage, which toppled on the ‘A Shortfall from Gravitas’ droneship in late August.
The FAA initially grounded all Falcon 9 launches, but then allowed SpaceX to continue on.
The launch was the first of two in consecutive days for SpaceX.
SpaceX plans Starlink and Polaris Dawn launches in consecutive days
Tomorrow, the long-awaited Polaris Dawn mission is expected to take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Station. The astronauts on that mission have been quarantined for days as they await confirmation that they will head to space.
The Polaris Dawn mission was set to takeoff last week, but unfavorable conditions in the Atlantic Ocean delayed the launch.
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