Another round of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites went into orbit this week, set to add to the company’s growing orbital constellation of internet-beaming satellites.
SpaceX successfully launched 53 Starlink satellites using the Falcon 9 booster on Thursday, according to the company’s website.
The launch took place from Launch Complex 40 at NASA’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, and it marks this Falcon 9 first-stage booster’s 13th flight.
In the past, the Falcon 9 booster has launched eight other Starlink missions, as well as Crew Demo-2, Anasis-II, CRS-21, Transporter-1 and Transporter-3.
SpaceX Responds to Amazon's FCC Complaint Over Starlink Gen2 Amendment https://t.co/s1WJ1SCE9M
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With the recent launch, SpaceX will soon have a total of 2,759 satellites in orbit and is planning to make the newly launched units operational in the fourth shell layer of the low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network.
Additionally, SpaceX is currently preparing its Starship reusable rocket, which was transported to Starbase this week ahead of its first orbital flight.
Last month, rivals at Amazon urged the FCC to limit SpaceX’s expansion of Starlink, after the parent company’s space subsidiary Blue Origin complained to U.S. regulators about several of SpaceX’s expansion plans last summer.
You can watch SpaceX’s full launch of the Starlink satellites using the Falcon 9 booster here:
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