ORLANDO, Fla. — SpaceX launched another batch of the company's Starlink satellites on Saturday, after an issue with a camera forced it to scrub an attempt earlier this week.
Eight minutes into the mission, the first stage landed successfully on the ocean barge "Just Read the Instructions," the third recovery for that booster and SpaceX's 63rd recovery overall.
The launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Launch Complex 40 transported about 60 Starlink satellites, packed inside the fairing of a Falcon 9 rocket, into low Earth orbit. This launch brings the total launched by SpaceX to almost 900.
The goal of the Starlink program is to create a constellation of satellites that can deliver fast, affordable internet to even remote areas of the planet. Musk has said he hopes to have 1,500 in place by the end of the year, which would blanket the United States in coverage.
The Federal Communications Commission has approved SpaceX to operate 12,000 satellites in all.
SpaceX was supposed to launch the satellite payload on Thursday, but about 10 minutes before liftoff it was called off.
SpaceX in a tweet said the delay was "to allow additional time for mission assurance work," but did not give any other details.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk said the scrub was related to a "small-seeming issue with loss of upper stage camera" and "nothing serious, but standing down to reexamine whole vehicle just in case."
