SpaceX has launched another batch of 22 Starlink satellites on Friday, February 9, 2024, at 7:34 p.m. EST (or 00:34 UTC on February 10).
A Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX has carried these Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California to low-Earth orbit.
Watch the launch of this mission if you missed it:
This was the 14th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, and now eight Starlink missions, according to the statement from SpaceX.
SpaceX wrote on X (former Twitter) that over its 14 missions, this booster has delivered over 134 metric tons to space, including 279 Starlink satellites.
The first stage booster is the reusable part of the Falcon 9 rocket. After stage separation, the first stage booster came back to Earth and landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
Only the second stage (upper stage) of the Falcon 9 rocket carried these satellites to the low-Earth orbit from the stage separation and deployed them about 62 minutes after liftoff.
Know about Starlink satellites
Starlink is the world’s first and largest satellite constellation, located in the low-Earth orbit, which provides high-speed satellite internet from space to almost anywhere on Earth. Currently, it’s providing satellite internet access to over 71 countries.
See the map where Starlink satellite internet is currently available.
As of February 7, 2024, SpaceX has launched 5806 Starlink satellites, of which 5416 are in low-Earth orbit and 5381 are in operational state, according to the report in Jonathan’s Space Pages. SpaceX has decided to deploy around 12,000 Starlink satellites in total.
The growing number of Starlink satellites in the low-Earth orbit is currently creating controversy because the bright train of Starlink satellites will interfere with night sky observation from the ground.
Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get latest space news, upcoming skywatching events and astronomy-related content.
