SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites, aces 300th rocket landing (photos)

SpaceX notched but but every other rocket-reuse milestone this evening (April 23).

A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 23 of SpaceX’s Starlink web satellites lifted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Dwelling Pressure Set apart of living nowadays at 6:17 p.m. EDT (2217 GMT).

The Falcon 9’s first stage came back to Earth for a vertical landing about 8.5 minutes after beginning, touching down on the SpaceX droneship Ethical Learn the Instructions, which used to be stationed within the Atlantic Ocean.

It used to be the ninth beginning and landing for this explicit booster, in accordance to a SpaceX mission description. And, more excitingly, it used to be the 300th touchdown total for a Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy first stage, the corporate said by process of X at the moment after touchdown.

Linked: Starlink satellite recount: How to thought and observe it within the evening sky

SpaceX first landed an orbital rocket in December 2015when a Falcon 9 first stage aced its touchdown at Cape Canaveral. Reuse is now routine for the corporate; one of its Falcon 9 boosters has 20 launches below its belt, shall we embrace.

Getting back to nowadays’s flight: The Falcon 9’s greater stage persisted carrying the 23 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO), deploying them about 65 minutes after liftoff as planned.

This evening’s beginning used to be the 41st of the yr for SpaceX, and the Twenty eighth of 2024 dedicated to constructing out the vast and ever-growing Starlink megaconstellation. There are practically about 5,800 operational Starlink satellites in LEO for the time being, in accordance to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell.

The Starlink beginning ended up being the important thing half of a spaceflight doubleheader: A Rocket Lab Electron automobile launched two satellitesincluding a NASA list voltaic-crusing abilities demonstrator, from New Zealand nowadays at 6:33 p.m. EDT (2233 GMT).

Editor’s brand: This memoir used to be up so far at 6:30 p.m. ET on April 23 with news of winning beginning and first-stage landing.

Michael Wall is a Senior Dwelling Writer withDwelling.comand joined the group in 2010. He basically covers exoplanets, spaceflight and militia affirm, but has been identified to dabble within the affirm art beat. His book about the stare for alien life, “Out There,” used to be printed on Nov. 13, 2018. Sooner than turning into a science creator, Michael labored as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor’s level from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificates in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To search out out what his latest challenge is, you are going to be ready to have a study Michael on Twitter.