SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink Internet satellites from California early Wednesday (Oct. 30).
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 20 Starlink spacecraft, including 13 direct-to-cell (DTC) capable, lifted off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base at 8:07 a.m. ET (1307 GMT; 5:07 a.m. local California time).
SpaceX streamed the launch via X, formerly Twitter.
The Falcon 9’s first stage came down to Earth eight minutes after liftoff, touching down with the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” parked in the Pacific Ocean.
This was the 14th launch and landing for this particular booster and its 11th Starlink mission overall. SpaceX mission description.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage towed the Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO), where they were expected to be deployed about an hour after liftoff.
Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see and track it in the night sky
SpaceX has already launched more than 100 Falcon 9 missions by 2024, two-thirds of which will be dedicated to building the Starlink megaconstellation.
The company currently operates more than 6,400 Starlink spacecraft in LEO, According to Jonathan McDowell, astrophysicist and satellite observer. About 250 of them are DTC satellites.
Editor’s note: This post was updated on October 29 to reflect the current launch window provided by SpaceX, and updated again on October 30 after launch.
