SpaceX Overcomes Weather Delays to Launch 60 Starlink Satellites
SpaceX successfully delivers its 13th batch of Starlink satellites to orbit after multiple weather-related delays, bringing the total constellation to 775 satellites.
SpaceX successfully launches 60 new Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, bringing the total number of satellites in the constellation to 775. A two-stage Falcon 9 rocket carries the payload into space, marking the 13th batch of satellites deployed for the company's satellite internet network.
This latest group of satellites features a new sunshade technology called VisorSat, which SpaceX designs to reduce the brightness of the satellites in the night sky. The Falcon 9's first stage returns to Earth just nine minutes after liftoff, landing smoothly on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
The successful launch comes after a frustrating two-week period that includes five separate scrubs. Poor weather conditions at the ocean recovery site delay the mission on September 17, September 28, and October 5, while ground systems issues prevent a launch attempt on October 1.