
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
SpaceX launched two more batches of Starlink satellites today (Dec. 17), in a pair of launches from both U.S. coasts.
First up was a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 of the broadband internet relay units (Group 6-99) into low Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The satellites were successfully deployed about an hour and five minutes after the 8:42 a.m. EST (1342 GMT) liftoff on Wednesday.
"Deployment of 29 Starlink satellites confirmed," SpaceX reported on social media.
The Florida flight's first stage booster (B1094) completed its sixth flight, landing on the "Just Read the Instructions" droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Then came 27 more Starlink satellites (Group 15-13), riding atop a Falcon 9 rocket launched from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Lifting off at 10:27 a.m. EST (1527 GMT or 7:27 a.m. PST local time), the mission was on track to deploy its payload about an hour after leaving the ground.
The California flight's first stage booster (B1063) performed its 30th propulsive landing, touching down on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean.
The California flight's first stage booster (B1063) performed its 30th propulsive landing, touching down on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean.
The 56 (in total) Starlink satellites launched on Wednesday add to SpaceX's megaconstellation, which now numbers more than 9,400 units in orbit. The network provides access to the internet to areas around the globe where other options for connectivity is sparse, as well as enables in-flight wifi and cell-to-satellite service on select carries.
Wednesday's dual launches were SpaceX's 164th and 165th Falcon 9 flight of the year.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
West Antarctica’s history of rapid melting foretells sudden shifts in continent’s ‘catastrophic’ geology - 2
Turning into a Distributed Writer: My Composing Process - 3
UAE used military bases in Red Sea region to aid Israel's war against Hamas, leaks reveal - 4
Find the Historical backdrop of the Modern Unrest: Changing Society and Innovation - 5
Manual for Big name Work out schedules
Finding Ideal Date Spots for Two or three Encounters
Mom warns of Christmas gift hazard as daughter recovers in hospital
Instructions to Pick the Right Toothbrush for Your Teeth
Pat Finn, actor from 'The Middle,' dies at 60 after bladder cancer diagnosis
Fireball sightings are surging across the US — here's what's really going on
Iranian-backed militias escalate in Iraq, targeting Kurdistan Region president Nechirvan Barzani
Taylor Swift just released the 'Elizabeth Taylor' music video — but she's not the star of it
Instructions to Perceive and Grasp the Early Side effects of Cellular breakdown in the lungs
Famous SUVs With Low Energy Utilization In 2024













