SpaceX launched 20 more of its Starlink internet satellites from California early Monday morning (Nov. 18).
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 20 Starlink spacecraft, including 13 with direct-to-cell capability, lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 12:53 a.m. EST (0553 GMT; 9:53 p.m. local California time on Nov. 17).
The Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth as planned about eight minutes after liftoff, landing on the SpaceX droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean.
It was the 20th launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description. Thirteen of those flights have been Starlink missions.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage continued hauling the Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO), deploying them on schedule about 62 minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX has launched more than 100 Falcon 9 missions in 2024, about two-thirds of them devoted to building out the Starlink network.
The megaconstellation currently consists of more than 6,600 active spacecraft, according to satellite tracker and astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, 283 of which are direct-to-cell capable.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 2:30 a.m. ET on Nov. 18 with news of successful launch, rocket landing and satellite deployment.
