SpaceX has launched 53 more Starlink internet satellites.
Recently, SpaceX launched 53 additional Starlink internet satellites atop a Falcon 9 rocket with a first stage that had completed its 13th mission.
At 10:20 a.m. EDT, the rocket launched from pad 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, marking SpaceX’s 165th Falcon 9 mission since 2010, its 31st this year, and its fourth orbital launch so far this month.
The rocket’s first stage, SpaceX’s third in 13 launches, lifted it into the lower atmosphere before falling away and guiding itself to an exact landing on an off-shore drone ship. It was the 102nd successful landing at sea for SpaceX overall.
The second stage finished its ascent to space nearly simultaneously, and a few minutes later, all 53 Starlinks were allowed to fly independently. As they drifted away, they gradually spread apart.
In its continued effort to create a commercial space-based internet infrastructure, SpaceX has now launched 2,858 Starlinks in total across 53 missions. Still, not all of them are currently functioning.
Eric is a professional news editor, writer, and blogger for the last 10 years. He is working with NewsGater as an off-beat news editor cum writer.