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Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s Space X company launched a second batch of its Starlink internet satellites on Tuesday night, including 13 that can provide direct access to cellphones.
The Starlink spacecraft lifted off at 10:16 pm on June 5 from atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
About 8.5 minutes after launch, the Falcon 9's first stage made a planned return to Earth and landed on the SpaceX droneship.
As per the SpaceX mission description, this was the booster's 20th launch and landing. With a Starlink launch last month, the corporation set a record for reuse.
According to Space X, the Starlink satellites launched Tuesday include 13 with direct-to-cell capabilities that will provide "seamless access to text, voice, and data for LTE phones across the globe."
The 20 Starlink satellites were launched into low Earth orbit by the Falcon 9's upper stage, and they were deployed around 52 minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX has flown 58 orbital missions so far in 2024, 41 of which have been devoted to expanding the massive and constantly expanding Starlink megaconstellation.
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