SpaceX launches first of two Starlink internet missions from Cape Canaveral
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the company's latest batch of Starlink internet satellites late Sunday, setting the stage for a similar mission to take flight in just a few days.
At 11:58 p.m. EDT, the 230-foot rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex 40 with 22 of the internet-beaming satellites and flew along a southeastern trajectory. Eight-and-a-half minutes after liftoff, the 162-foot booster landed on a drone ship near the Bahamas, completing a record-breaking 16th flight to date. The booster is now SpaceX's fleet leader.
Sunday's launch marked the Space Coast's 34th of the year. SpaceX has boosted nearly 5,000 internet-beaming Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit since the first missions took flight in May 2019. More than 1.5 million customers across the globe have signed up for the service.
Rocket launch schedule: Upcoming Florida launches and landings
Up next on the Eastern Range is another Falcon 9 rocket also set to fly with a batch of Starlink satellites. Liftoff is currently set for a window that runs from 12:35 a.m. to 2:06 a.m. EDT Thursday, July 13.
That mission will also include a drone ship landing, this time on A Shortfall of Gravitas, before the flat-packed satellites are delivered to low-Earth orbit about 340 miles above.
For the latest, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.
Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @EmreKelly.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX launches first of two Starlink internet missions from Florida
