On October 21, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 21 Starlink internet satellites into orbit from California.
The Falcon 9 took off from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base at 4:23 a.m. EDT (0823 GMT; 1:23 a.m. local California time).
The first stage of the Falcon 9 returned to Earth as planned, landing safely on the SpaceX drone ship Of Course I Still Love You approximately 8.5 minutes after the launch.
Related: If you’re wondering how to see and track the Starlink satellite train in the night sky, we’ve got you covered.
According to a mission description provided by SpaceX, this particular rocket’s first stage had flown 16 times before, just one flight shy of the company’s previous reuse record set last month.
SpaceX confirmed that the 21 Starlink satellites were successfully deployed from the Falcon 9’s upper stage approximately 62.5 minutes after the launch in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
This launch marked SpaceX’s 75th orbital mission in 2023. The company has set a goal of reaching 100 flights by the end of this year and 144 flights in 2024.
Approximately 60% of SpaceX’s missions this year have been dedicated to expanding Starlink, their internet megaconstellation. Currently, Starlink consists of almost 4,900 operational satellites, and the number will continue to grow in the future.
