File: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands in the launch position during sunset at Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Image: SpaceX
Update Dec. 2, 1:40 a.m. EST (0640 UTC): SpaceX confirmed deployment of the 27 Starlink satellites.
SpaceX launch its latest Falcon 9 rocket of the year from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Monday evening.
The Starlink 15-10 mission added another 27 broadband internet satellites to the company’s massive low Earth orbit constellation. By the end of November, it had launched more than 2,800 Starlink satellites this year alone.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at 9:28 p.m. PST (12:28 a.m. EST / 0528 UTC).
SpaceX launched the mission using the Falcon 9 first stage booster with the tail number 1081. This was the 20th flight of this booster after flying missions, including NASA’s Crew-7, CRS-29, PACE and TRACERS.
Nearly 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1081 landed on the drone ship, ‘Of Course I Still Love You’. This was the 166th landing on this vessel and the 542nd booster landing to date.