SpaceX successfully launches nearly 30 Starlink satellites
SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday, deploying 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. The mission, designated Starlink 10-31, marked the 27th launch for the first-stage booster B1077, which landed on the droneship *A Shortfall of Gravitas* after stage separation.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink satellites lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday at 6:04 a.m. ET. The launch, part of SpaceX’s Starlink 10-31 mission, occurred within a four-hour window opening at 5:26 a.m. ET, with weather conditions rated at a 90% chance of favorable liftoff by the 45th Weather Squadron. The first-stage booster, B1077, completed its 27th flight, including missions such as Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, and multiple Starlink deployments. After stage separation, the booster successfully landed on the droneship *A Shortfall of Gravitas* in the Atlantic Ocean. The 29 Starlink satellites will join SpaceX’s existing constellation of over 10,000 satellites in low-Earth orbit, expanding global internet coverage. As of this launch, Dr. Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics recorded 10,370 satellites in orbit, with 9,213 operational. The early morning launch also produced a visible 'jellyfish effect,' a phenomenon caused by the rocket’s ascent. SpaceX’s Starlink network continues to grow, aiming to provide broadband internet access to underserved regions worldwide.
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