Departing from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 11:38 p.m. EDT (0338 GMT Sept. 20), the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket embarked on its mission, carrying 22 of SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites destined for low Earth orbit (LEO).
In a historic achievement, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket has broken a reuse record
Remarkably, just 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage executed a flawless return to Earth, gracefully touching down on a SpaceX drone ship stationed at sea. This extraordinary feat marked the 17th liftoff and landing for this specific SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage, setting a new precedent in space history. Previously, the record was held by two different SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket boosters, with 16 successful reuses.
Simultaneously, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket’s upper stage deployed the 22 Starlink satellites as scheduled, 62.5 minutes after the launch
This mission marked another milestone, as it became SpaceX’s 65th orbital mission of the year, surpassing their previous record of 61 set in 2022. Throughout this year, SpaceX has focused primarily on expanding the Starlink mega constellations, which currently boast over 4,700 operational satellites. This number is expected to continue its rapid ascent, as SpaceX holds authorization to launch 12,000 Starlink satellites and has also submitted applications for an additional 30,000, demonstrating their commitment to revolutionizing global internet connectivity.
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