SpaceX launches more Starlink internet satellites from Florida, wraps up 2022

Emre Kelly, Florida Today
·2 min read

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early Wednesday, taking a batch of the company's latest Starlink satellites to orbit in an effort to expand and improve the internet service.

Nine Merlin main engines ignited at 4:34 a.m. EST to boost the 230-foot rocket from Launch Complex 40 along a unique, near-polar southern trajectory. All 54 satellites packed into the payload fairing were deployed 19 minutes after liftoff.

The rocket's 162-foot first stage, supporting its 11th flight so far, successfully touched down on the Shortfall of Gravitas drone ship northeast of The Bahamas.

The launch marked the 67th for Starlink, a constellation that boasts more than 3,000 internet-beaming satellites operating some 350 miles above Earth. Wednesday's batch was the first launch under an updated Federal Communications Commission license that recently granted SpaceX permission to launch the second generation of satellites, known simply as "Gen2."

Time exposure of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a batch of Starlink satellites. The rocket launched from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station a 4:34 a.m. Wednesday December 28th. The rocket, viewed over the skyline of Cocoa Beach on its southern trajectory.
Time exposure of the launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying a batch of Starlink satellites. The rocket launched from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station a 4:34 a.m. Wednesday December 28th. The rocket, viewed over the skyline of Cocoa Beach on its southern trajectory.

SpaceX did not clarify whether Wednesday's mission included upgraded hardware, but did say it was the first under the new license and that the company is "now able to deploy satellites to new orbits that will add even more capacity to the network. Ultimately, this enables us to add more customers and provide faster service – particularly in areas that are currently over-subscribed."

SpaceX recently confirmed Starlink overall has more than a million global customers. Rates start at $110 a month and although slower than the U.S. median speed, it's still robust enough for most applications.

The flight also marked the last of 2022, bringing the Space Coast's total to 57 launches for the year. The rapid pace not only outstrips records set during the early Space Race, but also last year's previous record of 31.

But the next launch is right around the corner: SpaceX teams are again looking to launch a Falcon 9 rocket, this time with dozens of payloads from several customers going to similar orbits. The company's Transporter program, designed to split costs and make launching smaller satellites more affordable, will fly its sixth mission no earlier than Monday, Jan. 2. An exact time has not yet been announced.

For the latest, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.

Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @EmreKelly.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX launches Starlink internet satellites from Florida, wraps up 2022