On Sunday evening, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 21 Starlink satellites from the Florida coast.
The launch took place on schedule at 9:24 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, although backup options were available until 12:21 a.m. Monday and there was also the option to launch that night.
The goal of the mission was to place 21 Starlink communications satellites into low Earth orbit, 13 of which are equipped with direct-to-mobile connectivity, allowing smartphones to directly connect to satellites in orbit.
The satellites will now be deployed to integrate into a network of thousands of Starlink satellites that provide high-speed, low-latency internet access around the world.
The mission was the fifth for the first stage boosters. It returned to Earth successfully about 8 minutes after liftoff and landed on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions, which was waiting in the Atlantic Ocean.
Sourse: www.upi.com
