On May 28, SpaceX successfully launched 23 Starlink satellites from Florida

On Tuesday at 10:24 a.m. EDT, a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station launched 23 Starlink spacecraft within a four-hour window that began at 7:30 a.m. EDT.

The launch was initially set for Monday, May 27, but SpaceX postponed the attempt.

[{"selector":"#anim-3bc8a920-4c52-46a3-8ec5-9bcf79d44b58","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1f52165d-28e1-4809-9a74-cf7c60097e2d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 119.87028%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

About 8 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth, landing on the droneship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" in the Atlantic Ocean.

[{"selector":"#anim-0b328fe0-2dd1-4acc-8af7-c0acdd393b36","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bdfea584-5bb5-41dc-b8e0-d894360484be","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 102.09022%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

As per SpaceX's mission description, this specific first stage completed its 10th launch and landing. Out of its nine previous flights, six were Starlink missions.

[{"selector":"#anim-29b46a37-d9f5-41da-a553-af72da46f76c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-731cd7e1-dcbb-4073-8c3f-18ea7c0483c4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 101.59517%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The Falcon 9's upper stage proceeded to transport the 23 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. They were anticipated to be deployed approximately 65 minutes after liftoff.

[{"selector":"#anim-1f4d6588-61e7-4a49-93ad-1d0753b0d3dd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-17efab34-7d1b-43ec-acca-a3a16db83b16","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 100.94966%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Tuesday marked SpaceX's 53rd orbital mission this year, with 37 missions in 2024 focused solely on growing the Starlink megaconstellation. The constellation now boasts nearly 6,000 operational satellites.

[{"selector":"#anim-209215ba-fe2a-420a-b67f-1198aafd6754","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-091622fb-c5e8-498b-8e1e-6adf994cc38a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 108.86462%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]