SpaceX Launches 22 Starlink Satellites

SpaceX is gearing up to launch 22 satellites as part of its Starlink constellation on Monday from California.

According to space.com, the Starlink spacecraft is scheduled to lift off on a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 3:23 AM Eastern Time.

If all goes as planned, the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket will return to Earth for a vertical landing in the sea aboard an unmanned SpaceX ship, about 8.5 minutes after liftoff.

This will mark the fourteenth takeoff and landing for this particular Falcon 9 first stage, according to SpaceX's mission description.

One of its previous launches included a test to redirect NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), which intentionally struck an asteroid in September 2022.

Simultaneously, the upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket will deploy the 22 Starlink satellites into a low Earth orbit about 62.5 minutes after liftoff.

Today's Starlink launch is the second of two consecutive Starlink launches.

Falcon 9 was originally scheduled to launch 22 Starlink satellites from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Sunday, October 8th, at 9:06 PM Eastern Time.

However, strong winds led to a 24-hour delay for that mission.

Starlink is the expansive internet service provided by SpaceX, consisting of over 4,800 operational satellites, with the number continuing to rise.

These launches are a testament to the growing partnership between SpaceX and Starlink, showcasing their commitment to improving global internet accessibility.