SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida on Wednesday night (May 22), the second mission in less than 24 hours for the company.
A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 23 Starlink spacecraft lifted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:35 p.m. EDT (0235 GMT on May 23).
Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see and track it in the night sky
The Falcon 9’s first stage came back to Earth about 8 minutes after launch, touching down on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
It was the eighth launch and landing for this particular first stage, according to a SpaceX mission description. Among its seven previous liftoffs were three Starlink missions and the Ax-2 and Ax-3 private astronaut missions to the International Space Station.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage, meanwhile, carried the 23 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO), where they were set to be deployed about 65 minutes after liftoff.
Wednesday night’s liftoff was the second of the day for SpaceX. In the morning, the company launched the NROL-146 mission from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base, sending a set of satellites aloft for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office.
That was SpaceX’s 52nd orbital launch of the year already. Thirty-six of those missions have been dedicated to building out the huge and ever-growing Starlink megaconstellation, which currently consists of about 5,950 working satellites.
Dr. Sarah Adams is a scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to all. Her articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
