SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites early this morning (Jan. 21), just five days after a test flight of the company’s Starship megarocket ended in an explosion.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 21 Starlink satellites lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 12:24 a.m. EST on Tuesday. The first stage of the rocket successfully returned to Earth about eight minutes later, landing on the SpaceX drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” in the Atlantic Ocean.
This launch was the eighth for this specific booster and the ninth Falcon 9 mission of 2025. The upper stage will carry the Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit, deploying them there about 65 minutes after liftoff.
The launch comes after a test flight of SpaceX’s Starship megarocket on January 16 from South Texas. Although the flight was successful in terms of catching the booster, it ended with an explosion of the upper stage just 8.5 minutes after liftoff, reportedly due to a propellant leak.
Despite this recent setback, SpaceX continues to push forward with its Starlink satellite program and its ambitious plans for interplanetary travel. With two more Falcon 9 missions planned in 2025, SpaceX is solidifying its position as a leader in the private space industry.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launching-21-starlink-satellites-early-jan-21-on-1st-flight-since-starship-explosion