SpaceX successfully launches 51 Starlink satellites

SpaceX successfully launched 51 additional Starlink satellites today, bringing its grand total to 4,391.

Launching from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 1:09 PM PT (20:09 UTC), Starlink group 2-9 took flight aboard the Falcon 9. This was a rare moment of no fog across the SLC-4E, one in all the more picturesque launch pads on this planet.

With the on-time launch, this marks one in all the quicker turnaround times of SLC-4E at just 12 days. These quick turnaround times are essential for SpaceX to keep up its rapid launch cadence and the eventual goal of as much as 100 launches in only one yr.

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The Falcon 9 launching this batch of Starlink satellites is B1075, on its third flight, previously supporting the Transport and Tracking Layer flight 1 and Starlink group 2-4, each from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The fairings on this flight are also flight-proven, with each fairing halves flying for his or her second time and might be recovered by ‘Go Beyond,’ the most recent addition to the SpaceX fleet.

Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/ZQmhx4Nynn

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 10, 2023

Following just two and a half minutes after launch, B1075 separated from the second stage and started its trip back to Earth to land on the drone ship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ just over 8 minutes after lift off. The second stage then continued to burn for one more six minutes before coasting for just over fourteen and half minutes before the Starlink satellites are then deployed from the Falcon 9 second stage.

It is a relatively quick mission for Starlink as of late, with a number of the more moderen deployments coming in over an hour after their initial launches.

Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship pic.twitter.com/wL2qRtrYxI

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 10, 2023

In response to Jonathan McDowell of P, SpaceX has now launched 4,391 Starlink satellites, of which 3,478 might be operational if this current batch of satellites makes it through their technical checkouts and orbital positioning in the approaching weeks.

Next up for SpaceX might be the launch of the Group 5-9 Starlink satellites, this time from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, currently scheduled for launch at 12:58 AM ET (04:58 UTC).

SpaceX successfully launches 51 Starlink satellites