Second Time’s the Charm: Falcon 9 Delivers Starlink Batch After Monday Delay
SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket roared into action on Tuesday, May 28th, launching 23 Starlink internet satellites into low Earth orbit. This successful mission came after a brief delay, as SpaceX stood down from a planned launch on Monday, May 27th.
Liftoff took place at 10:24 AM EDT (1424 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The launch window had opened four hours earlier at 7:30 AM EDT (1130 GMT).
Falcon 9 Aces the Landing
Following a successful launch, the Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth for a dramatic landing on the droneship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. This marked the 10th launch and landing for this specific first stage, with an impressive six of those missions dedicated to Starlink deployments.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage continued its journey, carrying the 23 Starlink satellites to their designated low Earth orbit. Deployment of the satellites was expected to occur approximately 65 minutes after liftoff.