SpaceX sent another batch of its Starlink internet satellites into the skies today (April 23).
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida today at 6:17 pm EDT (2217 GMT).
The Falcon 9 rocket's first stage returned to Earth for a vertical landing about 8.5 minutes after launch as planned. The plane landed aboard the SpaceX Just Read the Instructions drone, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Related: Starlink Space Train: How to See and Track It in the Night Sky
This was the ninth launch and landing of this particular booster, according to A SpaceX mission description. Five of the previous eight launches were Starlink missions.
The Falcon 9 rocket's upper stage will continue to carry 23 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) today, deploying them about 65 minutes after liftoff.
This evening's launch was the 41st of the year for SpaceX, and the 28th of 2024 dedicated to building out the massive and ever-growing Starlink constellation. there Nearly 5,800 Starlink satellites are currently operating in low Earth orbit, according to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell.
The Starlink launch ended up being the first half of a double spaceflight: The Rocket Lab Electron spacecraft launched two satellites, including a demonstration of NASA's solar sailing technology, from New Zealand today at 6:33 PM EDT (2233 GMT).
Editor's note: This story was updated at 6:30 PM ET on April 23 with news of the successful launch and landing of the first stage.
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