SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 21 Starlink satellites on Jan. 27 from Florida’s Space Coast. The mission included 13 satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities, liftoff occurring at 5:05 p.m. EST (2205 GMT). The first stage of the rocket returned to Earth eight minutes after launch in the Atlantic Ocean via SpaceX’s drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas.”
This was the 20th flight for this booster, with 11 being Starlink missions. In 2025, SpaceX plans to launch 12 Falcon 9 missions, eight of which will be Starlink flights. The Starlink megaconstellation now comprises over 6,900 operational satellites, according to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell.
The rocket’s upper stage deployed the satellites into low Earth orbit approximately 65 minutes after liftoff. Updates on the mission and details about Michael Wall, a Senior Space Writer with extensive credentials in space exploration, are available for further reading.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launching-21-starlink-satellites-to-orbit-from-florida-today