Launching July ninth, at 11:58 p.m. ET (03:58 UTC), the record-breaking Falcon 9 successfully lifted off from Space Launch Complex-40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station to deliver 22 V2 mini Starlink satellites to orbit.
Originally desiring to launch just before dawn Sunday morning local time, SpaceX pushed the launch time a few times while weather cleared the world, before launching the Starlink Group 6-5 mission.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/R1w03m4N6o
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 10, 2023
The 22 advanced V2 mini Starlink satellites were launched on a South East Trajectory right into a 43-degree orbital inclination. The satellites were deployed just over an hour after launching from the Space Coast. Following the deployment, 4,768 Starlink satellites have now been sent into orbit by SpaceX.
While only 22 of the V2 mini-satellites were launched, these are in a position to provide as much as 4x more capability than the older versions of the satellite. The Starlink network now has over 1.5 million users, so the increased capability is required while they convey the Starship program on top of things which can eventually launch the larger full-size V2 Starlink satellites.
The primary stage launching this mission was the record-breaking Booster 1058 on its sixteenth launch. This booster first launched the Demo-2 mission for NASA, reviving the power to send U.S. astronauts to space from America for the primary time in years. B1058 would go on to launch multiple industrial payloads and now 11 Starlink missions. This booster has sent 2 NASA astronauts, a complete of 617 Starlink satellites to orbit, and 243 industrial payloads thanks partially to them being on Transporter rideshare missions.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, completing the primary sixteenth launch and landing of a booster pic.twitter.com/bT70Zu2aKl
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 10, 2023
SpaceX recently gave the green light to fly flight-proven boosters that had made it to fifteen missions and can again re-evaluate once boosters hit the 20 launch mark. Elon Musk has said he would really like to see the Falcon 9 give you the option to launch as much as 100 times and with the correct refurbishment, it appears the Falcon 9 might be greater than capable.
Also being re-used on this mission were the fairing halves, with each halves flying for the ninth time, representing one other significant saving for the corporate.
Catch the replay of the mission below!