SpaceX continued its efforts to expand its Starlink internet network with the successful launch of 24 more satellites from Florida’s Space Coast, Space.com reports.
The mission took place on Tuesday, November 26, with a Falcon 9 rocket lifting off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 11:41 p.m. EST (0441 GMT on Wednesday, November 27).
This launch marked the 15th flight for the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage, which returned to Earth approximately eight minutes after launch, landing on SpaceX’s droneship, “A Shortfall of Gravitas,” stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Notably, this booster has now completed 15 missions, with 11 of those dedicated to deploying Starlink satellites.
Following the successful booster landing, the Falcon 9’s upper stage continued its journey, carrying the 24 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. The deployment occurred as planned, about 65 minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX’s Starlink program has made significant progress in 2024, with the company now having completed 117 Falcon 9 launches, 81 of which have been Starlink missions. The rapid pace of these launches continues to build out the Starlink megaconstellation, which now includes nearly 6,700 active satellites. In just the past eight days, SpaceX has launched five separate batches of Starlink satellites, contributing to what is already the largest satellite network ever assembled.
