SpaceX conducted two new Starlink satellite launches, setting a fresh record for reuse of launch vehicles.
The initial ascent, performed by a Falcon 9 rocket, took place from Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, situated in California. Twenty-five Starlink devices achieved the assigned orbit thanks to this carrier (B1063), for which this flight marked its thirty-first.
Later, another Falcon 9 was fired up from Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral, Florida. This booster (B1067) delivered 28 satellites to orbit (this is the Starlink 6-104 batch), achieving an unprecedented 33rd flight cycle with recovery.
Photo courtesy of SpaceX.
The stage of the rocket that lifted off from California successfully descended onto the autonomous drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, awaiting in the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, the first stage from the Florida launch touched down on the vessel A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic waters.
With these consignments, the SpaceX megaconstellation expanded by 53 new Starlink satellites, bringing the total count of active broadband relays to over 9,700 units. These ascents represented the twenty-first and twenty-second launches for the Falcon 9 this current year.
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