On June 5, 2024, SpaceX celebrated a significant milestone as they launched 20 Starlink satellites, coinciding with the 14th anniversary of the first Falcon 9 launch in 2010. The Falcon 9 rocket, bearing tail number B1067, took off from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 10:16 p.m. EDT.
With this launch, the Falcon 9 booster completed its 20th flight, having previously supported various missions including Crew Dragon astronaut missions, Cargo Dragon resupply missions to the International Space Station, and Starlink delivery runs. The booster successfully landed on the SpaceX droneship ‘Just Read the Instructions,’ marking the 83rd landing using JRTI and the 316th booster landing overall.
The payload of the mission consisted of 20 Starlink V2 Mini satellites, with 13 featuring direct-to-cellphone capabilities. SpaceX founder Elon Musk shared on social media that Starlink achieved a new internal median latency record of 28ms, with plans to further reduce the median latency for Starlink Internet in the US to below 20ms.
Michael Nicolls, SpaceX’s vice president of Starlink Engineering, highlighted the impact of the 11 Starlink launches conducted in May, emphasizing the progress made in expanding the network’s capabilities. He mentioned that the 26 direct-to-cellphone Starlink satellites deployed represent a significant step towards providing initial cellphone service in partnership with T-Mobile, with approximately 325 more satellites needed to reach this goal.
Overall, SpaceX’s recent achievements underscore the company’s commitment to advancing satellite technology and expanding global connectivity through initiatives like the Starlink project. As SpaceX continues to push boundaries in space exploration, the successful launch of the 20 Starlink satellites serves as a testament to their ongoing innovation and dedication to revolutionizing the way we connect and communicate.
