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SpaceX Launching 23 More Starlink Satellites
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is set to add 23 additional Starlink satellites to their broadband megaconstellation. A Falcon 9 rocket is poised for launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, with a scheduled liftoff tonight within a three-hour window starting at 8:53 p.m. EDT (0053 GMT on May 13).
The launch event will be live-streamed on SpaceX’s website via their X account, starting five minutes before the scheduled liftoff time. Should the mission progress as planned, the Falcon 9’s first stage is expected to return to Earth approximately 8 minutes post-launch, touching down on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas positioned in the Atlantic Ocean. This particular first stage has completed 15 launches and landings to date, with nine of those being Starlink missions.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage will then deploy the 23 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit around 65 minutes after liftoff, aiding in expanding SpaceX’s Starlink megaconstellation. This launch marks the 49th orbital mission for SpaceX in 2024, with 33 of the 48 launches conducted thus far dedicated to the Starlink project. Currently, the operational Starlink satellite count stands at around 5,900 and is expected to increase substantially in the future.
SpaceX holds authorization to deploy up to 12,000 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit and has further applied for approval to launch an additional 30,000 units, indicating their long-term commitment to bolstering global internet connectivity through satellite technology.
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