SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched 23 Starlink internet satellites into orbit from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 8:37 p.m. EDT on November 4. Notably, this marked the 18th mission for the Falcon 9's first stage, highlighting the impressive reusability of SpaceX's hardware.
Following the launch, the Falcon 9's first stage made a precise vertical landing on the drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" stationed in the Atlantic Ocean, just off the Florida coast, approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff. Meanwhile, the Falcon 9's upper stage continued its journey, deploying the 23 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit around 65.5 minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX, led by its CEO Elon Musk, has been a trailblazer in the field of reusable spaceflight hardware. This approach is seen as a critical step toward achieving ambitious goals like settling on Mars and other exploration feats. In this pursuit, SpaceX continually pushes the boundaries of reusability, surpassing its previous record of 17 Falcon 9 flights.
A significant portion of these Falcon 9 missions has been dedicated to expanding the Starlink megaconstellation in low Earth orbit. The constellation now boasts nearly 5,000 operational satellites. Notably, the Falcon 9 used in this launch had already completed 12 Starlink missions before this latest successful endeavor.
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