SpaceX lifted off a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 28 Starlink internet satellites into low Earth orbit on Saturday night, April 5 from Florida.
The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying a large batch of Starlink satellites, deployed from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Saturday at 11:07 p.m. EDT.
About eight minutes after lift off, the rocket’s first stage returned to Earth after successfully launching on the SpaceX drone ship, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
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According to the company, the lift off marked the 19th launch and landing for this specific booster, aimed at improving mobile connectivity in underserved regions worldwide.
Saturday’s night launch marked a significant milestone for the first-stage booster, marking the 39th Falcon mission of 2025.
Two-thirds of those flights have been assigned to building out the Starlink mega constellation, by far the largest satellite network assembled, according to Space.com.
According to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell, SpaceX is currently operating more than 7,100 Starlink satellites, and the number keeps increasing with time, significantly contributing to global broadband coverage.
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