SpaceX has successfully launched a new batch of Starlink internet satellites into orbit from Florida’s Space Coast on February 29. The launch, which took place at 10:30 a.m. EST, saw a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink satellites lifting off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
This mission, known as Starlink 6-40, came after the company delayed its first NASA astronaut launch of the year. The delay was due to rough offshore weather, which could have posed concerns during launch abort scenarios. As a result, the Crew-8 mission, which was scheduled to launch just after midnight on March 1, was postponed to no earlier than Saturday night, March 2.
Today’s launch marked the 11th flight for the particular Falcon 9 first stage, which had previously been involved in five Starlink missions, four commercial satellite flights, and one uncrewed NASA cargo run to the International Space Station (ISS). The booster returned to Earth just over 8 minutes after liftoff, landing at sea on the drone ship Just Read The Instructions for future use.
SpaceX is actively working to build a massive megaconstellation in low Earth orbit (LEO) to provide global, high-speed internet access directly from space. The company aims to have up to 42,000 satellites in LEO, and today’s launch is a part of this ongoing effort.
The successful deployment of the Starlink satellites is a significant step forward for SpaceX as it continues to expand its presence in space and work towards its goal of providing worldwide internet coverage.
