13.09.2024

SpaceX Falcon Rocket with 21 Starlink Satellites Blasts Off From Vandenberg

With clouds hovering around the Lompoc Valley, a Falcon 9 rocket lifts off with 21 Starlink satellites on board Thursday at Vandenberg Space Force Base. SpaceX photo

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 21 Starlink satellites blasted off Thursday evening from Vandenberg Space Force Base, becoming the 30th of the year from the West Coast.

Liftoff of the two-stage rocket built by SpaceX occurred at 6:45 p.m. from Space Launch Complex-4 on the South Base. 

The mission marked the 18th flight for the first-stage booster, which landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific Ocean about eight minutes after departing from Vandenberg. 

Packed inside the rocket’s payload fairing, or nose cone, were 21 Starlink satellites, 13 of which boast direct-to-cell capability.

SpaceX confirmed that the 21 satellites deployed about one hour after liftoff.

The company led by Elon Musk has launched more than 7,000 Starlink satellites into orbit for the constellation designed to provide internet service anywhere on the globe, especially in areas with unreliable or unavailable access.

Starlink’s constellation still has roughly 6,300 satellites in orbit after others failed for various reasons. In addition to Vandenberg, Starlink satellites are launched from Florida.

About two-thirds of the SpaceX launches from Vandenberg this year have carried Starlink satellites, but the company’s rockets also have delivered a wide assortment of other satellites for various customers upon blasting off from Vandenberg. 

In addition to the SpaceX rocket launches, Vandenberg has conducted four other missions involving missiles and other firms’ rockets.

Quelle: Noozhawk