SpaceX achieved another milestone by launching its 12th mission of the month, sending 23 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. The liftoff took place at 6:08 pm ET from Space Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, with the satellites successfully deployed over an hour later. This marked the second consecutive month with 12 successful launches for SpaceX, as the company continues to streamline its turnaround times, now allowing droneships to stay in Port Canaveral for around 12 hours between missions. With this launch, SpaceX has now deployed a total of 6,304 Starlink satellites, 5,228 of which are currently active.
Additionally, there are 1,791 active Gen 2 mini Starlink satellites. The mission, Group 6-54, saw Booster 1076 propelling the satellites into space, making it the booster’s 13th launch. These Starlink satellites were inserted into an orbital inclination of 43 degrees and will undergo standard checkouts as they move to their operational orbit. Booster 1076 made a successful landing on the droneship “Just Read the Instructions” approximately eight and a half minutes after liftoff.
This successful mission brings SpaceX’s total launches for the year to 43, putting the company on track to reach its goal of 148 launches in the year. The company’s next endeavor involves the launch of two Earth observation satellites from California, scheduled for no earlier than May 2nd at 2:30 pm PT, followed by a Starlink launch from Florida later in the evening.