SpaceX launched 20 Starlink internet satellites from Florida on Friday (October 18), including 13 with direct-to-cell capability.
The liftoff occurred on Friday at 7:13 pm ET (4:43 am IST October 19 morning). Falcon 9 launched Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
In the footage, shared by SpaceX, after liftoff, the Falcon 9’s first stage came back to Earth about 8.5 minutes landing on the SpaceX drone ship “Just Read the Instructions” in the Atlantic Ocean.
Towards the ending of the video, one of the split is covered with water droplets, because of the location, but with a different angle the landing could be seen clearly.
Satellites landing on orbit (Screenshot of video shared by SpaceX)
“Watch Falcon 9 launch 20 @Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida, including 13 with Direct to Cell capabilities,” SpaceX said in a post on X.
Watch video:
This marked the 17th successful flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched O3b mPOWER, OneWeb 2, Intelsat 40e, Maxar 2, Turksat-6A, Eutelsat 36X, Ovzon-3, CRS-26, and now nine Starlink missions.
In 2024, SpaceX has been actively expanding its Starlink constellation, with a significant portion of its launches dedicated to this endeavor. Out of the 96 Falcon 9 missions conducted by the company this year, approximately 64 have been focused on deploying Starlink satellites into orbit.
What is ‘Just Read the instructions’?
SpaceX has developed a unique solution to recover and reuse the first stage of its launch vehicles, known as the booster, by utilizing specially designed ocean-going barges called autonomous spaceport drone ships (ASDS). These vessels are equipped with advanced propulsion systems that enable them to maintain a precise position on the water, as well as a spacious landing platform. By successfully recovering and reusing these boosters, SpaceX has achieved a significant reduction in the cost of space launches.
Currently, SpaceX has three ASDS in operation: “Just Read the Instructions (II) (JRTI),” “A Shortfall of Gravitas (ASOG),” and “Of Course I Still Love You (OCISLY).” JRTI and ASOG are based at Port Canaveral, where they support launches from Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, with landings taking place in the Atlantic Ocean. OCISLY, on the other hand, operates out of the Port of Long Beach, supporting launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base, with landings occurring in the Pacific Ocean.