SpaceX successfully launched a batch of 23 Starlink broadband satellites into orbit on April 28, marking its second liftoff of the day. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:34 p.m. EDT.
This launch was the first-ever liftoff for this particular Falcon 9’s first stage, a rarity for SpaceX which is known for its rocket reuse. The rocket successfully landed on the “A Shortfall of Gravitas” drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean eight minutes after liftoff.
The Starlink satellites are scheduled to be deployed to low Earth orbit (LEO) within 65 minutes of launch. This marks the 50th Falcon 9 liftoff of the year, with 33 missions dedicated to building out the Starlink network, the largest satellite constellation ever assembled.
The megaconstellation currently has over 7,200 operational spacecraft and is growing rapidly. SpaceX’s second Starlink launch of the day preceded a Falcon 9 lofting 27 satellites from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base earlier today.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/brand-new-falcon-9-rocket-sends-23-starlink-satellites-to-orbit-on-spacexs-2nd-launch-of-the-day