
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
SpaceX launched two more batches of Starlink satellites today (Dec. 17), in a pair of launches from both U.S. coasts.
First up was a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 of the broadband internet relay units (Group 6-99) into low Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The satellites were successfully deployed about an hour and five minutes after the 8:42 a.m. EST (1342 GMT) liftoff on Wednesday.
"Deployment of 29 Starlink satellites confirmed," SpaceX reported on social media.
The Florida flight's first stage booster (B1094) completed its sixth flight, landing on the "Just Read the Instructions" droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Then came 27 more Starlink satellites (Group 15-13), riding atop a Falcon 9 rocket launched from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Lifting off at 10:27 a.m. EST (1527 GMT or 7:27 a.m. PST local time), the mission was on track to deploy its payload about an hour after leaving the ground.
The California flight's first stage booster (B1063) performed its 30th propulsive landing, touching down on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean.
The California flight's first stage booster (B1063) performed its 30th propulsive landing, touching down on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean.
The 56 (in total) Starlink satellites launched on Wednesday add to SpaceX's megaconstellation, which now numbers more than 9,400 units in orbit. The network provides access to the internet to areas around the globe where other options for connectivity is sparse, as well as enables in-flight wifi and cell-to-satellite service on select carries.
Wednesday's dual launches were SpaceX's 164th and 165th Falcon 9 flight of the year.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
7 Countries Where Newcomers Feel Most Welcome, and 3 Where They Often Don’t - 2
7 Strange Devices to Make Your Party Stick Out! - 3
Cells have more mini ‘organs’ than researchers thought − unbound by membranes, these rogue organelles challenge biology’s fundamentals - 4
‘RuPaul's Drag Race’ Season 18: How to watch without cable, premiere time, cast list and more - 5
Do you lean your seat back on the plane? These travel pros — and real-life couple — won't do it.
'Crammed into a cell with vermin at New Year'
ByHeart sued over recalled formula by parents of infants sickened with botulism
Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' trailer: See Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon and Tom Holland in 1st look at movie
4K televisions for Extreme Film Watching Experience
2025 Yachting Editors' Choice Awards: Yachts
5 Family SUVs for 2024: Which One Accommodates Your Family's Needs\uff1f
The Way to Business: Startup Illustrations Learned
Full SNAP benefits must be paid ‘promptly,’ USDA tells states as government reopens
Netflix is releasing a documentary on Elizabeth Smart. What to know about her kidnapping, rescue and where she is now.











