SpaceX capped off September with a Sunday evening Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, sending another 28 Starlink satellites into orbit.
Liftoff from Space Launch Complex 4 East occurred at 7:04 p.m. PT/10:04 p.m. ET, with the Falcon 9 rocket climbing southeast into the evening sky. This mission, designated Starlink 11-20, marked SpaceX’s 16th orbital launch this month, tying its record for the most launches in a single month, first set in May.
The first stage booster used for the flight, B1063, is one of the company’s most seasoned rockets. Sunday’s flight was its 28th, having previously supported high-profile missions including NASA’s DART, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, and Transporter-7. Just 8 minutes and 25 seconds after liftoff, the booster nailed a landing on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You, stationed in the Pacific Ocean. It was the vessel’s 154th recovery and SpaceX’s 513th overall booster landing.
At 8:04 p.m. PT/11:04 p.m. ET, SpaceX confirmed the successful deployment of all 28 Starlink satellites. Check out the full launch in the video below:
This launch comes just a couple of weeks after SpaceX celebrated its 300th Starlink mission. Regular launches are key to expanding the constellation, which recently surpassed seven million users across 150 countries and territories. Starlink aims to close the global connectivity gap with satellite broadband, improving speeds and reliability as more satellites come online.
SpaceX is also preparing for the next phase of its network. Last week, the company applied for FCC approval to deploy up to 15,000 next-generation Starlink Direct to Cell satellites, designed to bring direct cellular connectivity worldwide.
With 124 Falcon 9 launches completed so far this year, SpaceX shows no signs of slowing down as it continues to push launch cadence records while scaling Starlink into one of the most ambitious broadband projects in history.
