SpaceX successfully launched a batch of its Starlink internet satellites from California, marking the company’s 17th launch and landing for this particular Falcon 9 booster. The rocket carrying 22 Starlink spacecraft took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 6:02 p.m. EST on February 1.
The first stage of the Falcon 9 returned to Earth about eight minutes after liftoff, touching down safely in the Pacific Ocean on the SpaceX drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You.” The upper stage continued carrying the Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit, where they are expected to be deployed about 61 minutes after liftoff.
This launch brings SpaceX’s total number of Falcon 9 missions in 2025 to 14, with nine of them being Starlink flights. The company has now launched over 1,400 Starlink spacecraft since its Starlink program began.
The Starlink megaconstellation currently consists of more than 6,900 operational spacecraft, according to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-22-starlink-satellites-to-orbit-from-california