SpaceX launches 20 Starlink satellites from California (video)

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Liftoff occurred at 1:14 a.m. EST on Saturday (Nov. 9).

SpaceX launched 20 Starlink internet satellites from California early Saturday morning (Nov. 9).

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink spacecraft — 13 of which had direct-to-cell capability — lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 1:14 a.m. EST (0514 GMT; 10:14 p.m. Nov. 8 local time). 

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 20 Starlink internet satellites to orbit from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Nov. 9, 2024.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 20 Starlink internet satellites to orbit from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Nov. 9, 2024. (Image credit: SpaceX via X)

According to plan, the Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth for a vertical touchdown on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You," which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

It was the 11th launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description.

The Falcon 9's upper stage, meanwhile, continued its trek to low Earth orbit (LEO), to deploy the 20 Starlink satellites about 60 minutes after liftoff.

A first stage from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lands on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific Ocean on Nov. 9, 2024.

A first stage from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lands on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific Ocean on Nov. 9, 2024. (Image credit: SpaceX via X)
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SpaceX has already launched more than 100 Falcon 9 missions in 2024, about two-thirds of which have been dedicated to building out the Starlink network.

The huge and ever-growing constellation currently consists of about 6,500 active spacecraft, according to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell.

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Mike Wall
Mike Wall
Senior Space Writer

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.