Vandenberg Space Force Base, USA - June 19, 2024

SpaceX broke a 10-day hiatus with a successful launch of 20 Starlink broadband satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Tuesday night.

The mission, which marked SpaceX's 61st orbital liftoff of the year, lifted off at 11:40 p.m. EDT on June 18 (8:40 p.m. local California time; 0040 GMT on June 19). The Falcon 9 rocket, equipped with 20 Starlink spacecraft, including 13 featuring direct-to-cell capabilities, soared into the night sky.

Approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage made a pinpoint landing on SpaceX's droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" stationed in the Pacific Ocean. This successful landing marked the fifth for this particular booster.

Meanwhile, the Falcon 9's upper stage continued its journey, deploying the 20 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit about an hour after liftoff. These satellites will join SpaceX's rapidly expanding Starlink megaconstellation, which currently comprises over 6,000 operational satellites aimed at providing global broadband internet coverage.

The launch was originally planned as part of a dual mission day for SpaceX, alongside the Astra 1P telecom satellite launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. However, adverse weather conditions forced the postponement of the Astra launch.

SpaceX continues to lead in commercial spaceflight, maintaining an ambitious launch schedule in 2024 with an average of one launch every 2.8 days. The successful deployment of these Starlink satellites reaffirms SpaceX's commitment to enhancing global connectivity through advanced satellite technology.

As SpaceX looks ahead, future missions are poised to further expand the Starlink constellation, demonstrating the company's role at the forefront of the space industry's push toward satellite-based communications and internet services.