SpaceX launched 27 Starlink satellites from California on October 12, ending a 23-day gap in Falcon 9 Starlink missions. The booster landed on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.
01Summary
- 01The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 8:28 p.m. EDT on October 12.
- 02It carried 27 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit, deployed 62 minutes after launch.
- 03The mission was the first Falcon 9 Starlink launch since September 19; SpaceX had launched seven such missions in 19 days in August-September.
- 04The first stage booster (B1088) landed on the drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You' about 8.5 minutes after launch, its 20th flight.
- 05SpaceX plans to eventually replace Falcon 9 with Starship for Starlink launches; Starship flew 26 next-gen Starlink V3 satellites on September 28.
02Why it matters
This launch restores SpaceX's routine cadence of Starlink deployments, which provide broadband internet globally. The continued expansion of the constellation directly affects coverage and speeds for existing and future users.
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