A Falcon 9 rocket’s first-stage booster completed its third mission in 23 days from Vandenberg Space Force Base when it blasted off Thursday to deliver 27 Starlink satellites into orbit.
The two-stage rocket built by SpaceX departed at 6:02 p.m. from Space Launch Complex-4 on the South Base.
Eight minutes later, the first-stage booster landed on a droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
“Just flew booster 1088 for the third time in 23 days (would have been 21 days if not for weather),” Jon Edwards, vice president of Falcon and Dragon programs at SpaceX, said on social media. “Major props to the SpaceX Vandy team!”
It was the fifth flight overall for the first-stage booster, which also recently delivered five NASA satellites and National Reconnaissance Office spacecraft in separate March missions nine days apart at Vandenberg, setting a reuse record for Falcon.
The first-stage booster makes up the lower two-thirds of the Falcon 9 rocket, and reuse helps reduce the time and cost of getting satellites into space.
Historically, rockets launched from Vandenberg have been expendable or throwaway where the various stages don’t get recycled.
Roughly an hour after Thursday’s launch, SpaceX confirmed the satellites deployed as planned.
The mission came days after United Airlines announced the pending addition of Starlink satellites.
The airline announced that the Federal Aviation Administration had approved the first aircraft equipped with “the fastest Wi-Fi in the sky.”
“That green light means we expect to install Starlink on 40 planes a month, with our entire regional fleet being outfitted by the end of year,” United representatives posted on social media.
“The first passenger flight that’ll let customers stream, scroll, shop, game and work just like at home or in the office is coming in May,” United added.
The airline will provide Starlink for free to its MileagePlus members, with sign-ups available by clicking here.
Having thousands of satellites in the constellation, Starlink has been designed to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet access across the globe, including areas where land-based service remains unavailable and unreliable.
Starlink now is available in Armenia and Azerbaijan, two of more than 130 countries, territories or markets around the world.
Another Falcon 9 rocket launch carrying Starlink satellites could occur as soon as Monday afternoon from Vandenberg, according to notices issued ahead of launches. However, various factors can delay missions.