
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
SpaceX launched two more batches of Starlink satellites today (Dec. 17), in a pair of launches from both U.S. coasts.
First up was a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 of the broadband internet relay units (Group 6-99) into low Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The satellites were successfully deployed about an hour and five minutes after the 8:42 a.m. EST (1342 GMT) liftoff on Wednesday.
"Deployment of 29 Starlink satellites confirmed," SpaceX reported on social media.
The Florida flight's first stage booster (B1094) completed its sixth flight, landing on the "Just Read the Instructions" droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Then came 27 more Starlink satellites (Group 15-13), riding atop a Falcon 9 rocket launched from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Lifting off at 10:27 a.m. EST (1527 GMT or 7:27 a.m. PST local time), the mission was on track to deploy its payload about an hour after leaving the ground.
The California flight's first stage booster (B1063) performed its 30th propulsive landing, touching down on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean.
The California flight's first stage booster (B1063) performed its 30th propulsive landing, touching down on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean.
The 56 (in total) Starlink satellites launched on Wednesday add to SpaceX's megaconstellation, which now numbers more than 9,400 units in orbit. The network provides access to the internet to areas around the globe where other options for connectivity is sparse, as well as enables in-flight wifi and cell-to-satellite service on select carries.
Wednesday's dual launches were SpaceX's 164th and 165th Falcon 9 flight of the year.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
'Supergirl' drops 1st teaser trailer: Watch Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El and the return of Krypto the Superdog - 2
Germany raises prospect of military forces to secure Ukraine peace - 3
Illumina unveils dataset to speed up AI-powered drug discovery - 4
‘Integral part of our nation’: Herzog visits Franciscan Sisters in Jerusalem ahead of Christmas - 5
6 Objections for an Ocean side Wedding
Dominating the Art of Composing: Creator Bits of knowledge
NASA Perseverance rover sees megaripples on Mars | Space photo of the day for Jan. 7, 2026.
A throat bone settles it - Nanotyrannus was not a juvenile T. rex
Vote in favor of Your Number one kind of pie
Carry Nature Inside with These Staggering Plant Decisions
Pick Your Favored kind of soup
From invasive species tracking to water security – what’s lost with federal funding cuts at US Climate Adaptation Science Centers
37 Things Just Individuals Experiencing childhood during the 80s Will Comprehend
Record-breaking flu hospitalizations in New York in a single week: Health officials












