CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — While many were dreaming of the final Delta IV Heavy rocket launch, SpaceX sent up more than 20 Starlink satellites during the early hours of Wednesday morning.
What You Need To Know
- Falcon 9 rocket launched the Starlink 6-48 mission
- The liftoff took off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 1:40 a.m. ET
Engines full power and liftoff! pic.twitter.com/L4MbnK53wz
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 10, 2024
The company’s Falcon 9 rocket sent up the Starlink 6-48 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 1:40 a.m. ET under good weather conditions, SpaceX stated.
Taking off
The first-stage booster, B1083, is still a babe in the woods with only one launch under its belt: Last month’s Crew-8 mission.
After the stage separation of the Falcon 9, it landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean.
Falcon 9 lands on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, completing this booster’s second flight and Falcon’s 295th overall landing pic.twitter.com/j3LfOtxrVw
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 10, 2024
About the mission
Starlink 6-48 mission sent up 23 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit, joining the thousands already up there that provide internet services to many parts of the world.
SpaceX owns the Starlink company.
Before this launch, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’ Dr. Jonathan McDowell documented the following Starlink satellites stats.
- 5,787 are in orbit
- 5,721 in working order
- 5,196 are in operational orbit
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