Early on Monday morning (November 18), SpaceX launched 20 more Starlink broadband satellites from California.
Nov. 17 at 12:53 a.m. EST (0553 GMT; 9:53 p.m. local California time), a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 20 Starlink satellites, including 13 with direct-to-cell capability, took out from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The first stage of the Falcon 9 landed on the SpaceX droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean around eight minutes after liftoff, returning to Earth as scheduled.
According to a SpaceX mission description, it was the booster’s 20th launch and landing. Starlink missions have been involved in 13 of those flights.
About 62 minutes after liftoff, the Starlink satellites were deployed on time while the upper stage of the Falcon 9 continued to drag them to low Earth orbit (LEO).
Approximately two-thirds of SpaceX’s more than 100 Falcon 9 missions in 2024 have been focused on expanding the Starlink network.
According to satellite tracker and astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, there are currently over 6,600 active satellites in the megaconstellation, 283 of which are capable of direct-to-cell missions.
