SpaceX Launches 21 Satellites from Florida
- SpaceX successfully launched 21 Starlink satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
- The launch occurred in clear skies after a previous mission had to be postponed.
- This marks SpaceX's 187th launch of their Starlink internet relay satellites.
In a significant achievement for SpaceX, a Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 21 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral early Saturday morning. This mission marked the 187th launch of the company’s Starlink internet relay satellites, which are designed to enhance communications in high-latitude regions lacking traditional geosynchronous satellite coverage. With this latest launch, the total number of Starlink satellites deployed has reached 6,854, of which 6,239 are currently operational, according to space statistician Jonathan McDowell. The launch took place under clear skies, following a previous day’s scrub due to unfavorable booster recovery conditions. The Falcon 9 booster successfully landed on the drone ship "Read the Instructions" in the Atlantic Ocean, marking its 21st landing on the vessel and the 88th overall for SpaceX's drone ship operations. Initially, SpaceX had planned two launches for Saturday, but one was rescheduled to Sunday morning. Looking ahead, SpaceX is set to conduct two additional launches on Sunday. The first will take place from Kennedy Space Center, aiming to deploy 23 more Starlink satellites, while the second launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California will carry Norway Space's twin Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission relay stations into a highly elliptical orbit. In related news, SpaceX's Crew Dragon may now only transport two astronauts instead of four, as they prepare to return from the International Space Station, while Boeing's Starliner capsule remains grounded.