SpaceX launches 20 Starlink satellites from Florida early on July 3 after delay
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 20 Starlink spacecraft, including 13 with direct-to-cell capabilities, lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Wednesday at 4:55 a.m. EDT (0855 UTC). While the launch was delayed due to technical issues, the three-hour window for liftoff opened at 2:57 a.m. EDT (0601 GMT).
The Falcon 9’s first stage came back to Earth about eight minutes after launch. It will touch down on the droneship called “A Shortfall of Gravitas,” stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Wednesday’s liftoff was the 16th launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description. Ten of its 15 flights to date have been Starlink missions.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage, meanwhile, continued hauling the 20 satellites to low Earth orbit, where there were deployed about 61 minutes after liftoff.
Wednesday morning’s launch was the 67th Falcon 9 mission of 2024 already. More than 70% of the rocket’s liftoffs this year have been devoted to building out the ever-growing Starlink megaconstellation, which currently consists of more than 6,150 operational satellites.
