SpaceX launches 60 more Starlink satellites on 100th Falcon 9 flight - Spaceflight Now

The 100th flight of a Falcon 9 rocket delivered 60 satellites to orbit for SpaceX’s Starlink network Tuesday night, adding another building block to a planned fleet of thousands of solar-powered space-based relay stations to beam broadband connectivity around the world.

The rocket’s 15-story first stage booster dropped away from the Falcon 9 upper stage about two-and-a-half after liftoff, setting a course for a controlled touchdown on SpaceX’s drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” positioned several hundred miles northeast of Cape Canaveral in the Atlantic Ocean,.

The booster — designated B1049 in SpaceX’s rocket inventory — reignited its center engine for a braking maneuver just before touchdown, then extended a landing gear before settling onto the deck of the drone ship.

Flying some 140 miles over the North Atlantic, 60 new Starlink internet satellites have deployed from the upper stage of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

Along with its reused first stage booster, the Falcon 9 launched with a recycled clamshell-like payload shroud, half of which flew on two previous missions.

While the booster and fairing shells descended back to Earth, the Falcon 9’s upper stage guided the 60 flat-panel Starlink satellites into a transfer orbit inclined 53 degrees to the equator.

The launch was previously scheduled Saturday night, then delayed to Sunday, when SpaceX called off a launch attempt due to concerns about “mission assurance.” SpaceX bypassed a launch opportunity Monday due to a forecast of poor conditions in the Falcon 9 booster’s offshore landing zone, setting the stage for Tuesday’s countdown.

With the launch Sunday, SpaceX has deployed 955 Starlink satellites into orbit.

Flying some 140 miles over the North Atlantic, 60 new Starlink internet satellites have deployed from the upper stage of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.

SpaceX says the Starlink network — designed for low-latency internet service — has entered a beta testing phase in multiple U.S

SpaceX going for new rocket reuse record on 100th Falcon 9 launch