SpaceX has marked its 250th dedicated Starlink launch with a breathtaking photo showing its Falcon 9 rocket heading to orbit.
The long-exposure image shows the rocket on its way to space, and also includes numerous star trails and bright lights along Florida’s Space Coast.
The mission got underway on Sunday shortly after 10 p.m. ET from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The Falcon 9 was carrying 23 Starlink satellites, including 13 with direct-to-cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit.
The first dedicated Starlink launch took place in May 2019, deploying the initial batch of 60 operational satellites for the Starlink internet service. Since then, SpaceX has significantly increased the Starlink mission frequency, enabling it to rapidly expand its constellation over the last six years.
The satellite deployments have all been carried out by SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. Mission costs have been significantly reduced by reusing the first-stage boosters for multiple missions. The company also recovers and reuses the rocket fairings, further enhancing efficiency and reducing expenses.
SpaceX now has more than 8,000 Starlink satellites orbiting Earth, bringing high-speed broadband internet to more than 5 million customers around the world. The Elon Musk-led company is aiming to deploy around 12,000 satellites, though it has regulatory approval for a possible expansion up to 34,400 satellites. Although Starlink’s current constellation already provides global coverage, expanding it even further will boost elements such as network capacity, speed, and reliability, leading to an improved user experience.
Sunday’s mission was the 20th flight for the first-stage Falcon 9 booster, which previously launched Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, NG-20, TD7, and 12 Starlink missions.
SpaceX is already gearing up for its next Starlink launch, which is scheduled to take place on Monday, April 28, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Liftoff is targeted for 1:39 p.m. PT.