SpaceX Falcon 9 Sends Starlink Satellites Into Orbit In Precision West Coast Launch

SpaceX launched 24 Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 4 East on Tuesday morning.

The Starlink 17-37 mission liftoff occurred at 7:50:34 a.m. PDT, with the rocket following a southerly trajectory after leaving the pad.

The mission had originally been scheduled for May 9 but was delayed multiple times during the month, with changes to booster assignments before Falcon 9 booster B1100 was ultimately selected.

B1100 was making its sixth flight, having previously supported the NROL-105 mission along with four earlier Starlink deployments.

Approximately 8.5 minutes after launch, the booster returned successfully, landing on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

The landing marked the 198th recovery on that vessel and the 615th booster landing overall in SpaceX operations.

The mission adds another batch of satellites to the expanding Starlink network in orbit.