SpaceX launches Starlink satellites from two coasts in two days

As has almost become the norm, SpaceX launched two more batches of Starlink satellites over the course of two days from dual coasts.

First up on Thursday (Jan. 29), a Falcon 9 rocket lifted from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in southern California. The 12:53 p.m. EDT (1753 GMT or 9:53 a.m. PDT local time) launch successfully deployed 25 satellites (Group 17-19) into low Earth orbit.

Then today (Jan. 30), another Falcon 9 flew from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Taking flight at 2:22 a.m. EDT (0722 GMT), the rocket carried 29 more units (Group 6-101) for the Starlink network.

Thursday’s booster (B1082) completed its 19th flight by touching down on the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in he Pacific Ocean. It was then the fifth flight for Booster 1095, which similarly landed in the Atlantic Ocean on “Just Read the Instructions.”

The Starlink network provides broadband internet service to areas around the globe where others means of service is absent or spotty. The service also supports in-flight wifi on certain airlines and direct cell-to-satellite calls and texting on select carriers.

Thursday and Friday’s launches raised the total number of Starlink satellites in orbit over the 9,600 mark, according to tracker Jonathan McDowell. Friday’s launch was SpaceX‘s 13th mission of the year and 596th Falcon 9 flight since 2010.