SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches Starlink 'V2 Mini' Satellites for Its First-Stage Booster's 16th Flight

SpaceX set a new record over the weekend after launching Falcon 9. The rocket lifted new Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit (LEO).

SpaceX Falcon 9 Made 16th Flight

On Sunday at 11:58 p.m. EDT (0358 GMT on July 10), a Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Twenty-two of SpaceX's Starlink satellites were launched toward low-Earth orbit (LEO).

According to the corporation, it was this Falcon 9's first-stage booster's unheard-of 16th launch, Space.com reported.

About 8.5 minutes after takeoff, the booster returned to Earth for a 16th landing, coming down on the deck of the SpaceX droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean.

The 22 Starlink satellites were still being launched by the Falcon 9's disposable upper stage. The batch is expected to be launched 62 minutes after that and placed in LEO.

The 22 satellites are "V2 Minis," the most recent most potent iteration of SpaceX's broadband spaceship. Approximately 50 can fit on a Falcon 9, and they are larger than the previous Starlink model. However, the last V2 satellites, 1.25 tons (1.1 metric tons) of spacecraft that will launch on SpaceX's massive Starship next-generation vehicle, are "mini" in comparison.

The last time the Falcon 9 first stage launched was in December 2022, which was Sunday night. Demo-2, SpaceX's first-ever crewed mission, delivered two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station in 2020, is one of its 15 prior flights.

The booster is not an unusual case of reuse; a different Falcon 9 first stage has taken off 15 times, and a few others have done so 14 times.

If everything goes as planned, the Starship will take reflight to another level. The massive machine, which is the most potent rocket ever built, is made to be completely reusable. According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, both of its stages will be able to fly several times in a single day.

What Is V2 Minis Satellites?

Starlink will be able to provide 4x more capacity per satellite than earlier iterations because of key technologies found in V2 minis, according to a statement made by SpaceX on Twitter in February. These technologies include more potent phased array antennas and the usage of E-band for backhaul.

The Federal Communications Commission approved Starlink's "Gen2" plans in December, and the satellites are the first iteration of those plans.

While launches of the company's first-generation models carried about 50 to 60 satellites at a time, the new spacecraft are larger and heavier than before, meaning each Falcon 9 launch carries fewer satellites.

The company plans to eventually use its Starship rocket, which is in development, for future second-generation Starlink missions. Musk shared a video of the V2 Mini satellites released from the rocket into orbit in February.

The company has already sent over 4,000 Starlink satellites to orbit. In December, SpaceX attracted 1 million members across a range of product offerings, including services for residential, commercial, RV, maritime, and aviation users.

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