SpaceX successfully launched a brand-new Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 20. The mission carried 23 Starlink broadband satellites to low Earth orbit, marking the first-ever launch of this specific rocket’s first stage. The booster landed safely on the SpaceX drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean about eight minutes after liftoff.
The Falcon 9 upper stage successfully deployed the satellites at a scheduled time around 65 minutes into the flight. This mission was the 60th Falcon 9 flight of 2025 and the 43rd Starlink mission for the year.
The Starlink constellation, consisting of over 7,500 operational satellites, is growing rapidly. SpaceX’s reusable rocket technology allowed the company to delay the launch by a day, citing unexplained reasons for the aborted attempt on Monday night.
SpaceX has never attempted a launch with its first stage before, making this mission a rare occasion for the pioneering space company. The Starlink satellites will continue to provide internet connectivity services to remote and underserved areas around the world.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-23-starlink-satellites-to-orbit-on-brand-new-falcon-9-rocket-after-abort-photos