SpaceX launches 20 Starlink internet satellites into orbit
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is launched, carrying 23 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. May 6, 2024. PHOTO: REUTERS
US private space company SpaceX launched 20 Starlink internet satellites into orbit early Wednesday, including 13 with direct-to-cell capabilities.
According to SpaceX, the satellites were launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 4:55 a.m. Eastern Time (0855 GMT) after technical issues caused a two-hour delay.
Read: SpaceX launches 1,000th Starlink satellite of the year
Shortly after the launch, SpaceX's Falcon 9 first-stage booster returned and landed on a droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Wednesday's liftoff was the 16th launch and landing for this particular booster, according to a SpaceX mission description.