SpaceX launches 20 more Starlink satellites into orbit - VIDEO

SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 20 Starlink satellites from California on Sunday night.

The mission, designated Starlink 9-11, included 13 satellites equipped with Direct-to-Cell capabilities, aimed at enhancing mobile connectivity, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 9:53 p.m. PST (12:53 a.m. EST, 0553 UTC).

Falcon 9’s first stage lands on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, completing this booster’s 20th mission pic.twitter.com/RtMWaKTGKt

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 18, 2024

The Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, tail number B1071 in the SpaceX fleet, launched for an 20th time. It previously launched two rideshare missions (Transporter-8 and Transporter-9), three national security missions (NROL-85, NROL-87 and NROL-146) and 12 Starlink missions.

A little more than eight minutes after liftoff, B1071 landed on the SpaceX droneship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You.’ This was the 109th landing on OCISLY and the 370th booster landing to date.

The payload on this flight includes 13 Starlink satellites that have Direct to Cell capabilities. Following the launch of Starlink 9-11 on Nov. 14, Ben Longmier, the senior director of satellite engineering at SpaceX, said there were “three more launches to complete the first satellite constellation for Starlink Direct to Cell.”

News.Az