SpaceX launched its latest batch of satellites Thursday night (December 28) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The 23 Starlink Broadband Internet spacecraft were lifted into low Earth orbit aboard a Falcon 9 rocket at 11:01 PM EDT (0401 GMT Friday, December 29).
However, this wasn't SpaceX's only mission today. The company also launched the Falcon Heavy rocket carrying the secretive X-37B spaceplane earlier in the evening.
Related: A SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launches the US Space Force's mysterious X-37B spaceplane after delays
The Starlink launch (known as 6-36) was the company's 98th and final launch planned for the year.
SpaceX's 98 launches in 2023 include 91 Falcon 9 launches, five Falcon Heavy launches, and two launches of the company's Starship launch system. SpaceX carried out 61 launches in 2022 – 60 Falcon 9 rockets and just one Falcon Heavy launch – and achieved 31 launches in 2021 and 26 in 2020, all of which were Falcon 9 rockets.
SpaceX won't be able to finish 2023 with 100 launches, and the company's next mission is scheduled for Tuesday (January 2). SpaceX's first launch in 2024 will see 21 more Starlink spacecraft transported to low Earth orbit by a Falcon 9 rocket, which will lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The Starlink launch on December 28 was the twelfth flight of this first-stage booster. According to SpaceXwhich also carried cargoes of CRS-24, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F, OneWeb 1, SES-18, and SES-19 into space, in addition to conducting seven previous Starlink missions.
As of November 2023, the massive Starlink constellation consisted of more than 5,200 small operational broadband satellites providing Internet in low Earth orbit. SpaceX intends to deploy up to 12,000 Starlink satellites, and the company hopes to be allowed to expand this to up to 42,000 units.
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