SpaceX continues launch streak with another batch of Starlink internet satellites

SpaceX launched another set of its Starlink internet satellites into space before dawn Monday. Shortly after a successful liftoff, the rocket’s first stage booster touched down on a floating platform at sea.

A stack of 52 Starlink satellites sat perched atop the sooty Falcon 9 rocket when it lifted off Monday at 3:10 a.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, marking the first of two planned launches for the day.

Approximately eight minutes after launching, the Falcon 9’s first stage made its ninth landing as it returned to Earth and touched down on one of SpaceX’s drone ships parked in the Atlantic Ocean. 

While the first stage was headed back to Earth, the rocket’s upper stage continued its mission and deposited 52 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit about 65 minutes after liftoff. Those satellites make up a massive constellation of more than 4,500 satellites circling the globe to provide connectivity below. 

SpaceX has plans to launch thousands more: The company received government approval to launch 12,000 satellites, with the hope to eventually launch 30,000 more. 

The early-morning Starlink liftoff was the first of two planned Falcon 9 launches scheduled for Monday.

For its next act, the company plans to launch a rideshare mission called Transporter 8. Liftoff is slated for 5:19 p.m. EDT, with the rocket blasting off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. As part of the Transporter 8 mission, a Falcon 9 rocket will carry 72 smaller satellites into space for many different customers.