Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, USA - June 24, 2024

SpaceX celebrated another feat in space exploration with a successful doubleheader on Sunday (June 23). The aerospace company launched two separate batches of its Starlink internet satellites, deploying them into orbit atop Falcon 9 rockets from both U.S. coasts.

The first launch took place at 1:15 p.m. EDT (1715 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. A Falcon 9 rocket carried 22 Starlink satellites into space during this initial mission. Later in the day, at 11:47 p.m. EDT (8:47 p.m. local California time; 0347 GMT on June 24), another Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, delivering an additional 20 Starlink satellites, including 13 equipped with direct-to-cell capabilities.

Both launches saw the successful return of Falcon 9 first stages, which landed on SpaceX droneships in the ocean shortly after liftoff, marking another milestone in SpaceX's reusable rocket technology.

These launches marked the 63rd and 64th orbital flights of the year for SpaceX and the 45th and 46th missions of 2024 dedicated to expanding the Starlink megaconstellation in low Earth orbit. Currently comprising over 6,100 operational satellites, the Starlink network aims to provide global internet coverage.

SpaceX has established a pattern of conducting launch doubleheaders, demonstrating its capability to handle multiple missions in quick succession. The company previously executed a similar feat on May 22 with missions from Vandenberg and Cape Canaveral, followed by another Starlink launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center the next day.