A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Tuesday, carrying 29 Starlink satellites into orbit. The launch, which occurred at 11:17 a.m., marked the first mission for the rocket’s first-stage booster, B1062, which had previously flown in 2021. The satellites are part of SpaceX’s effort to expand global broadband coverage. The mission was conducted under a contract with NASA, though specific details of the agency’s involvement were not disclosed.
The launch followed a successful Artemis II moon mission, which concluded in October after a four-day flight that tested systems for future crewed lunar landings. Kennedy Space Center director Bob Cabana announced his retirement earlier this month, citing the Artemis II success as a career milestone. Cabana’s departure comes as NASA prepares for Artemis III, scheduled for 2025, which aims to land the first crew on the moon since 1972.
The Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage landed at Cape Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1, while the second stage continued to orbit. The Starlink satellites will be deployed over the next few weeks and will join more than 4,000 others already in space. SpaceX has launched over 3,000 Starlink satellites since 2019, with the goal of creating a global broadband network.
The launch was visible from parts of Florida and Georgia, with clear skies allowing observers to see the rocket’s ascent and the bright streak of the first-stage booster reentering the atmosphere. The mission was the second SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral this month, following a May 29 Starlink mission that also used a previously flown booster. No major issues were reported during the flight, and the satellites are expected to begin transmitting data within days.