On April 17th at 5:26 p.m. EDT, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rocket was carrying 23 Starlink internet satellites, adding to SpaceX’s ever-growing constellation of operational satellites.
The launch went smoothly, with the Falcon 9’s first stage successfully landing on SpaceX’s Just Read the Instructions droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. This marked the 12th launch and landing for this particular booster, inching SpaceX closer to their reuse record.
However, the livestream feed for the launch unfortunately cut out about three minutes after liftoff, leaving viewers in suspense until updates were provided later on. Despite this technical glitch, the upper stage of the rocket continued on its journey, deploying the satellites into low Earth orbit around 65 minutes after liftoff.
This launch was a significant milestone for SpaceX, as it marked their 39th orbital mission of the year and the 26th mission of 2024 focused on building the Starlink network. With over 5,700 operational satellites already in orbit, SpaceX has ambitious plans to deploy thousands more in the future to expand their internet coverage around the globe.
The successful launch and deployment of the Starlink satellites showcase SpaceX’s continued commitment to revolutionizing the way we access the internet. With each mission bringing them closer to their goal, SpaceX is on track to reshape the future of connectivity for people worldwide.
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