SpaceX launched its latest batch of Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Tuesday morning. Instead of a crewed astronaut launch, the company chose to blast off with a stack of 23 satellites.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 9:05 a.m. EDT and carried the Starlink 12-24 mission to orbit. This was the 41st Falcon 9 mission of the year for SpaceX, with the booster previously launching six times before Tuesday’s attempt.
The satellites were equipped with Direct to Cell technology, which aims to help eliminate cellular dead zones around the globe. The company has partnered with T-Mobile in the US to bring this capability to customers.
As planned, the booster successfully landed on a ship called Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean about 6 minutes into flight. The rocket’s upper stage continued its orbit insertion burn with the satellites.
This launch marks SpaceX’s 71st Falcon 9 mission of 2025 and the 53rd batch of Starlink satellites to join the growing megaconstellation, which currently consists of over 7,000 satellites. The network offers low-latency internet access from anywhere in the world, with its signal strength growing every week.
SpaceX’s direct-to-cell technology aims to improve mobile connectivity globally.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-starlink-12-24-b1083-ccsfs-jrti