SpaceX launches 300th Starlink satellite-internet mission (video)

SpaceX just lofted yet another batch of its Starlink broadband satellites to orbit.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 Starlink craft lifted off from foggy Vandenberg Space Force Base in California today (Sept. 13) at 1:55 p.m. EDT (1755 GMT; 10:55 a.m. local California time).

It was the 300th Starlink mission that SpaceX has launched to date, according to the company.

About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9’s first stage touched down in the Pacific Ocean on the SpaceX drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You.” It was the 28th launch and landing for this particular booster, which is designated B1071.

That’s two away from the reuse record, which a different Falcon 9 booster set late last month.

The Falcon 9’s upper stage continued hauling the 24 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit, where they were deployed 62.5 minutes after liftoff, according to SpaceX.

The new arrivals are joining more than 8,300 other active spacecraft in the Starlink network, by far the largest satellite constellation ever assembled.

Today’s launch was the 115th Falcon 9 liftoff of the year. More than 70% of these missions have been Starlink flights.

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 5 p.m. ET on Sept. 13 with news of successful satellite deployment.