SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully launches Starlink mission from Vandenberg

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched on Wednesday, March 14, carrying 60 satellites for the company’s Starlink mission. The launch took place at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, marking the first time this particular Falcon 9 booster has been used for three flights. After delivering the payload into orbit, the rocket’s first stage successfully landed on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean. The mission brings SpaceX’s total number of satellites in orbit to approximately 1,500.

The Starlink mission aims to provide high-speed internet to remote areas around the globe. Once all satellites are in orbit, the network could provide internet coverage to areas where terrestrial connections are not feasible, as well as become a key player in the race to provide global internet coverage.

This is the eighth Starlink batch to be launched since May 2019, and the deployment of these satellites has ignited debate around the potential impact of such a vast network of satellites on astronomical observations and space debris. Nonetheless, the successful launch of this Falcon 9 marks another milestone for SpaceX as it moves closer towards its stated mission of enabling people to live on other planets.

Space exploration and speedy internet are two topics that continue to capture the public imagination. SpaceX’s Starlink mission brings those two worlds together, making distance and remoteness a thing of the past. As private companies increasingly push beyond our atmosphere, it’s important to keep an eye on the potential impact on our planet and beyond.