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SpaceX Launches 23 Starlink Internet Satellites
SpaceX is set to launch 23 additional Starlink internet satellites from California on the evening of March 10, marking the second part of a planned spaceflight doubleheader. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink spacecraft is scheduled to take off from Vandenberg Space Force Base during a 3.5-hour window that opens at 10:13 p.m. EDT (0213 GMT on March 11).
The upcoming launch will be the second Starlink mission in a relatively short period, with SpaceX also planning to send 23 broadband craft from Florida’s Space Coast earlier in the evening. Both Starlink launches will be livestreamed by SpaceX via its X account, starting approximately five minutes before the window opens.
Launch Details
If all goes according to plan, the Falcon 9’s first stage will return to Earth approximately 8.25 minutes after liftoff, executing a vertical landing on the SpaceX droneship Of Course I Still Love You, positioned in the Pacific Ocean. Notably, this launch will mark the 17th launch and landing for this specific booster, with eleven of the previous 16 missions being Starlink flights.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage will proceed towards low Earth orbit (LEO), releasing the 23 Starlink satellites about 62 minutes after launch. Starlink is part of SpaceX’s broadband megaconstellation, designed to provide internet services globally.
Starlink Expansion
The current operational Starlink fleet consists of nearly 5,500 satellites in LEO, a number that is expected to increase significantly in the future. SpaceX has approval to deploy 12,000 more Starlink satellites and has applied for permission to launch an additional 30,000 satellites beyond that initial figure.
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