SpaceX launched yet another batch of its Starlink internet satellites this afternoon (Nov. 7) from Florida’s Space Coast.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink spacecraft lifted off today from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 3:19 p.m. EST (1919 GMT).
The Falcon 9’s first stage came back to Earth for a vertical touchdown about eight minutes after liftoff as planned. It landed on the SpaceX droneship “Just Read the Instructions,” which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
It was the third launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage, meanwhile, continued its trek skyward. If all goes to plan, it will deploy the 23 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) about 65 minutes after liftoff.
Starlink is the largest satellite constellation ever assembled, with a current population of about 6,500 active spacecraft.
But the LEO megaconstellation is getting bigger all the time, as today’s liftoff shows. SpaceX has launched more than 100 Falcon 9 flights so far this year, and roughly two-thirds of them have been Starlink missions.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 7:58 p.m. ET on Nov. 6 with the new launch date of Nov. 7. It was updated again at 3:40 p.m. ET on Nov. 7 with news of successful launch and rocket landing.
