SpaceX launches more Starlink satellites Thursday as constellation passes 3 million users
This week, Starlink officials announced their high-speed internet constellation is now connecting more than 3 million people, with the Republic of Fiji's 300-plus islands marking the network's 99th country, territory or service market.
Thursday night, another SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch added 23 more satellites to that ever-expanding constellation, notching the second of back-to-back Starlink night launches from the Cape.
The Falcon 9 vaulted from pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 10:45 p.m. EDT — four hours later than initially scheduled — and displayed a multicolored exhaust plume to Space Coast rocket spectators.
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The Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron had forecast 95% odds of "go for launch" weather. And prior to liftoff, no cloud cover of note showed up on the National Weather Service radar loop from the Melbourne Orlando International Airport station.
Thursday's mission marked the 13th flight for the Falcon 9 first-stage booster, SpaceX reported.
The booster previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20 and six Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, the booster landed on the SpaceX drone ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean roughly 8 minutes, 15 seconds after liftoff.
For the latest news from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale at Rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX launches Starlink satellites as network passes 3 million users
