It was SpaceX's 26th Falcon 9 launch of the year.

SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit tonight (March 18).

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink spacecraft lifted off tonight from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base at 10:28 p.m. EDT (7:28 p.m. local California time; 0228 GMT on March 19).

The Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth about 8.5 minutes after liftoff as planned. It landed vertically on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You," which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

It was the 10th launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description.

The Falcon 9's upper stage, meanwhile, will continue hauling the 22 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit. They'll be deployed there about 62.5 minutes after liftoff.

Tonight's launch was the 26th operational mission of 2024 for SpaceX. Seventeen of those flights have been devoted to building out the Starlink broadband megaconstellation, which currently consists of more than 5,500 satellites.

Quelle: SC

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Not aliens: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket visible from Vegas’ night sky

If you saw a strange beam of light in the night sky tonight, rest assured — aliens have not invaded.

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched Starlink satellites into orbit around 7:30 p.m. Monday. It is the 10th time the rocket has taken flight this year from SpaceX’s Vandenberg Space Force Base north of Los Angeles, the company said on X.

Falcon 9 is the first rock ever created capable of reflight. Starlink is a satellite internet service that uses satellites that orbit the earth to provide broadband internet, according to the company’s website.

 

Quelle Las Vegas Review Journal