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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 29 Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida

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A white and black rocket lifts off into the night sky, its bright yellow-white plume lighting its launch pad below.

Another Starlink launch is now in the record books.

SpaceX on Sunday (Jan. 18) sent a new batch of 29 Starlink satellites (Group 6-100) into low Earth orbit. At 6:31 p.m. EDT (2331 GMT), the company launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

About nine minutes later, the Falcon's upper stage reached its preliminary orbit and was on track to deploy its payload approximately an hour after leaving the ground, following a coast period and second burn of its Merlin engine.

a first stage of a rocket stands on its four landing legs on an ocean-based droneship after a night launch

Past B1080 missions:

Ax-2 | Euclid | Ax-3 | CRS-30 | SES ASTRA 1P | NG-21 | 17 Starlink launches

The launch marked the 24th successful re-flight of the Falcon 9's first stage (B1080). The booster performed a propulsive landing, touching down on its four deployed legs atop the droneship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

The ever-growing Starlink megaconstellation now numbers more than 9,500 active satellites, according to tracker Jonathan McDowell. The network provides internet access to regions around the world where others means of connecting is sparse. The service also supports wifi on airlines and direct cell-to-satellite calls for select providers.

Sunday's launch marked SpaceX's 8th launch of 2026 and 591st Falcon 9 mission since 2010.

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