CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — SpaceX successfully launched its latest batch of Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit early Wednesday morning, the company said.


What You Need To Know

  • SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket on Starlink 10-18 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at 1:55 a.m. Wednesday

  • The rocket booster will put 28 satellites into low-Earth orbit

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 28 Starlink satellites took off on Starlink Mission 10-18 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 1:55 a.m. Eastern Time.

If needed, backup opportunities were available until 5:34 p.m. Wednesday, according to SpaceX.

The 45th Weather Squadron gave a 95% probability for favorable weather conditions at the scheduled launch time, with the only concern being the cumulus cloud rule.

Find out more about the weather criteria for a Falcon 9 launch.

Five for flying

The launch is the fifth flight for the first-stage booster B-1090, including a crewed launch: 

After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

The 28 satellites from the Starlink company will join the thousands of their siblings in low-Earth orbit.

They will provide internet service to many parts of Earth after they have been deployed.

Dr. Jonathan McDowell, of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has been recording Starlink satellites.

Before this launch, McDowell recorded the following:

  • 7,797 are in orbit
  • 6,928 are in operational orbit