Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Space
Space
Science
Mike Wall

SpaceX launches 22 Starlink internet satellites from Florida (video)

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink satellites lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.

SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida's Space Coast on Saturday evening (Oct. 26).

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 5:47 p.m. EDT (2147 GMT).

(Image credit: SpaceX via X)

As to plan, the Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth about eight minutes after liftoff. It touched down on the drone ship "Just Read the Instructions," which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

It was the 19th launch and landing for this particular booster, and its 15th Starlink mission overall, according to a SpaceX mission description

The Falcon 9's upper stage, meanwhile, continued to haul the Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO), where there were to be deployed about 64 minutes after liftoff.

Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see and track it in the night sky

The first stage from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lands on the Just Read the Instructions droneship in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (Image credit: SpaceX via X)

Starlink launches are coming fast and furious these days: SpaceX has launched 100 Falcon 9 missions so far in 2024, and 66 of them have been Starlink missions.

The Starlink megaconstellation, which beams internet service to customers around the world, currently consists of more than 6,400 active satellites, according to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.