Image: SpaceX
SpaceX continues its rapid expansion of the Starlink satellite internet constellation with another successful launch on Sunday morning. At 7:49 a.m. ET/4:49 a.m. PT, a Falcon 9 rocket took off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying 28 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.
This launch followed a previous mission where SpaceX launched 24 Starlink satellites from California, bringing the total number of new satellites launched over the weekend to 52.
After stage separation during Sunday’s launch, the Falcon 9 first stage successfully landed on the droneship named “Just Read the Instructions” in the Atlantic Ocean 8 minutes and 22 seconds later. The deployment of the Starlink satellites was confirmed over an hour after liftoff, at the 1:04:00 mark.
This launch marked the 23rd flight for the Falcon 9 booster, which has supported various high-profile missions including Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, and multiple Starlink launches.
With SpaceX surpassing 7 million users worldwide across 150 countries, the demand for satellite-based internet is clearly evident. The company’s aggressive pace in scaling the Starlink network reflects its commitment to meeting this demand.
In addition to its Starlink endeavors, SpaceX recently achieved a milestone with Starship’s 10th test flight. The successful deployment of next-generation Starlink V3 satellites in a “Pez dispenser” fashion demonstrates the potential for future Starship launches to significantly increase deployment capacity.
You can watch the Sunday Starlink satellite launch in the video below:
With ongoing Falcon 9 launches and advancements in Starship capabilities, SpaceX is strengthening both its orbital network and global user base at a rapid pace.