SpaceX lit up the night sky over Vandenberg Space Force Base today (Jan. 22) with the launch of 25 more satellites for its Starlink broadband internet service.
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex 4 East today at 12:47 a.m. EST (0547 GMT; 9:47 p.m. on Jan. 21 local California time. The Falcon's upper stage reached a preliminary orbit about nine minutes later and released its Starlink payload (known as Group 17-30) as scheduled, roughly an hour after launch.
"Deployment of 25 Starlink satellites confirmed," SpaceX confirmed on social media.
The Falcon 9's first stage, known as Booster 1093, completed its 13th flight, landing on the Pacific Ocean-based drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You."
The new batch of satellites add to the 9,500 active units that comprise the Starlink megaconstellation. The service provides internet access to underserved areas around the world, as well as to airlines wanting to offer WIFI and cell phone carries seeking direct cell-to-satellite service for emergencies.
Thursday's launch was SpaceX's ninth of the year and 592nd since 2010.
