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SpaceX has confirmed the successful launch of 21 new Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch, which took place from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, marks the 15th launch and landing of the Falcon 9 rocket. The initial launch was scheduled for August 17 but experienced a one-day delay, followed by a four-day postponement due to the impact of Hurricane Hilary.

The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Starlink spacecraft, took off at 5:37 a.m. EDT on Tuesday. Approximately 8.5 minutes after launch, the rocket’s first stage safely returned to Earth and landed on SpaceX’s drone ship named “Of Course I Still Love You”.

This specific booster has now achieved its 15th successful launch and landing, putting it just one launch away from SpaceX’s reuse record held by two different Falcon 9 first stages. SpaceX has already launched nearly 5,000 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO).

SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, has been granted the authorization to deploy 12,000 Starlink satellites in LEO. Additionally, the company has submitted an application to an international regulatory body to launch an additional 30,000 satellites, expanding their existing plans.

Furthermore, Musk shared images of the Super Heavy Booster 9 on the orbital launch pad at Starbase, indicating that the booster has been returned for further preflight testing.

With this successful launch, SpaceX continues to expand its Starlink satellite network, aiming to provide global broadband coverage and improve internet accessibility worldwide.

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