On Friday the 13th, SpaceX successfully launched another Falcon 9 rocket. The Falcon first stage's sixth launch and landing was spectacular but far from a SpaceX record: three Falcon 9 boosters have completed a total of 12 flights.
Falcon 9 rockets have now been successfully landed 112 times by SpaceX.
This long-exposure image shows a trail of a group of SpaceX's Starlink satellites passing over Uruguay as seen from the countryside some 185 km north of Montevideo near Capilla del Sauce, Florida Department, on February 6, 2021.
SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Brings 53 More Starlink Satellites Into Space
According to Space.com, SpaceX launched a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket carrying 53 Starlink satellites from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, previously known Vandenberg Air Force Base, in California at 6:07 p.m. EDT on Friday.
As planned, the Falcon 9's first stage successfully landed on the SpaceX drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean. It occurred around nine minutes after the rocket was launched to deploy the satellites to low Earth orbit.
SpaceX just launched 53 new Starlink broadband satellites into low-orbit space last week, per Science Times. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket completed its 12th mission, tying the company's previous record.
The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket was topped with 53 of SpaceX's Starlink broadband satellites when it launched from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday at 5:42 a.m. EDT. The Falcon 9 has been marketed as a reusable rocket by SpaceX since its inception.
ALSO READ: SpaceX to Reuse Dragon Spacecraft Fleet After Rocket Booster from NASA Crew-1 'Leaned'
The recent launch equaled the previous record for the most times a Falcon 9 core has been reused, which was set in December by another Falcon 9 core.
Nearly 2,500 Starlink satellites have been safely launched by SpaceX, many of them flown in the last several months.
Starlink missions will be the focus of 11 of the company's 18 spaceflights in 2022. It is not likely to change anytime soon. On Saturday, May 14, SpaceX plans to launch another set of Starlink satellites from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The constellation's next iteration might have as many as 30,000 satellites in it.
What Is Starlink
According to NBC Los Angeles, SpaceX's Starlink constellation consists of about 2,000 satellites circling Earth at the height of around 340 miles. Satellites were sent into orbit using SpaceX rockets.
The Starlink network was created to provide high-speed internet to people all around the world. In March, SpaceX announced that there are around 250,000 total Starlink users, including both individuals and businesses.
How to See Starlink Satellites in Orbit
Starlink Satellites occasionally put up a show. The satellites appear on a train as they march through the night sky if the light conditions are perfect.
When the sun is below the horizon in the first few minutes after sunset and before daybreak, the satellites are visible, but they are high enough to reflect direct sunlight.
Find the greatest upcoming viewing times with the FindStarlink tracker.
RELATED ARTICLE: Experts Reveal That 3% Of SpaceX's Starlink Satellites Have Failed In Orbit So Far
Check out more news and information on SpaceX in Science Times.
