SpaceX successfully launched its latest batch of Starlink satellites at midnight Tuesday, but there may have been additional satellites on board as well. The Falcon 9 rocket took off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 12:24 a.m. EST.
The launch, known as the Starlink 13-1 mission, used the previous Falcon 9 booster B1083 for the eighth time. After the launch, the booster landed safely on a SpaceX droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. This marked the 95th successful landing of an ASOG booster and the 399th booster to date.
The Starlink 13-1 mission included 21 satellites, which are part of SpaceX’s fifth dedicated Starlink launch of the year and ninth orbital launch in 2025. However, it appears that some recent flights have launched batches with only 21 satellites on board, while others have launched with more satellites. This suggests that other satellites may have been included in the Starlink 13-1 mission.
Among these possible additional satellites are Starshield, which is a government variant of Starlink used by the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). While neither SpaceX nor NRO has confirmed this, if true, it wouldn’t be the first combo mission. The NROL-126 mission in November included 20 Starlink satellites and an undisclosed number of Starshield satellites.
The SpaceX webcast began late due to technical issues and lacked normal telemetry data, making its usual view of the Falcon 9 upper stage unavailable during the mission. Nevertheless, the launch is a significant milestone for SpaceX’s ongoing efforts to expand its internet coverage around the world.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/01/21/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-21-starlink-satellites-on-falcon-9-rocket-from-the-kennedy-space-center-3