SpaceX launched 20 Starlink satellites into orbit on Friday morning from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Falcon 9’s first stage lands on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship pic.twitter.com/da173czlNV
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 20, 2024
The satellites were carried by a Falcon 9 rocket, which lifted off at 6:50 a.m. Pacific Time from Space Launch Complex 4 East. The mission, designated as Starlink 9-17, included 13 satellites equipped with Direct to Cell capabilities.
Watch Falcon 9 launch 20 @Starlink satellites to orbit from California, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities https://t.co/e96PhvnIaO
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 20, 2024
Shortly after the launch, the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster successfully landed on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean. This marked the 13th launch and landing for the particular Falcon 9 booster, identified as B1075. It had previously supported the Transporter-11 rideshare mission, SDA-0A for the Space Development Agency, and nine other Starlink launches.
A note on the changing altitude deployment of the Starlink constellation: compare Oct 2023 (4925 in orbit, 6% below 500 km) with Sep 2024 (6413 in orbit, 25% of which below 500 km) pic.twitter.com/YWG9iLfmBr
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) September 21, 2024
Falcon 9 booster’s 13th successful landing
SpaceX confirmed the deployment of all 20 satellites approximately an hour and ten minutes after liftoff. The landing of B1075 on the droneship was the 102nd for “Of Course I Still Love You” and the 350th overall booster landing for SpaceX.
With this latest launch, SpaceX has now placed over 7,000 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.
That makes 4 orbital launches today ( Sep 20), with 35 satellites deployed.
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) September 21, 2024
The Starlink constellation aims to provide high-speed internet access on a global scale, reaching rural areas, maritime domains, and a growing number of airlines. The company recently secured a deal with United Airlines to enhance in-flight internet with better speeds and reliability using the Starlink network.
Currently, Starlink is operational on more than 2,500 airplanes across various airlines, providing high-speed internet access to an increasing number of users every week.
