SpaceX Sets Falcon 9 Reuse Record: 14th Launch Sends Off Starlink and Rideshare Satellites
SpaceX launched 34 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit on Saturday night, along with an AST SpaceMobile’s BlueWalker 3 satellite, as part of a rideshare aboard Falcon 9.
This rideshare payload is the largest yet at 1,500 kilograms (3,306 lbs).
This was a special launch as it was the record 14th reuse for this particular Falcon 9 rocket, which took off from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:20 pm ET.
Falcon 9 successfully landed on the SpaceX drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean.
This record 14th landing of this Falcon 9 booster means it has served the Crew Demo-2, ANASIS-II, CRS-21, Transporter-1, Transporter-3, and now nine Starlink missions.
It was the 141st landing of an orbital class rocket and later, SpaceX confirmed deployment of the AST SpaceMobile BlueWalker 3 satellite, and later 34 Starlink satellites.
Check out the full replay below:
Starlink earlier today launched in Malta and is now serving 40 countries worldwide.