SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base Sunday morning. The launch came after it stood down from launching a Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft from Florida due to poor weather.
Liftoff of the Starlink 11-1 mission happened at 12:24 a.m. PDT (3:24 a.m. EDT, 0724 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E).
The Falcon 9 first stage booster that launched this mission, B1082, lifted off for a 6th time. It previously launched the USSF-62 mission as well as four Starlink mission.
A little more than eight missions after liftoff, B1082 landed on the SpaceX droneship, “Of Course I Still Love You.” This was be the 98th landing on OCISLY and the 334th booster landing to date.
The 23 Starlink satellites add to the more than 6,200 active satellites on orbit, according to astrophysicist and expert orbital tracker, Jonathan McDowell.
Starlink is now available across the island nation of Tonga! 🛰️ 🇹🇴 ❤️ → https://t.co/G1myzWJQ6j
— Starlink (@Starlink) August 3, 2024
