When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
The launch of a new batch of SpaceX Starlink satellites lit up the predawn sky in southern California today (Dec. 10) as the company marked its 160th flight of a Falcon 9 rocket this year.
Lifting off at 6:40 a.m. EST (1140 GMT or 3:40 a.m. PST local time) Wednesday from Vandenberg Space Force Base's Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E), the 27 broadband internet satellites (Group 15-11) were deployed into low Earth orbit just over an hour into the flight.
"Deployment of 27 Starlink satellites confirmed," SpaceX officials posted to social media.
Previous Booster 1082 missions
USSF-62 | OneWeb Launch 20 | NROL-145 | 14 Starlink missions
The first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket completed its 18th flight, landing back on the autonomous droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" positioned in the Pacific Ocean.
The Starlink megaconstellation now numbers more than 9,000 operational satellites, including the more than 3,000 launched just this year. The network provides access to the internet to areas around the world where there was no or sparse coverage, as well as enables WiFi access on commercial airliners and cell-to-satellite service on select providers.
Wednesday's launch was SpaceX's 165th overall launch of 2025 (including Starship test flights) and the 605th mission in the company's history.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS reveals weird wobbling jets in rare sun-facing tail - 2Earth’s magnetic field protects life on Earth from radiation, but it can move, and the magnetic poles can even flip
- 3Top 10 Moving Style Architects of the Year
- 4Colleges say foreign students feel 'unwelcome' in the U.S. amid big drop in international enrollment, new survey finds
- 5Audits of 6 American Busssiness Class Flights
- As world leaders enter climate talks, people in poverty have the most at stake
- 5 State of the art Advancements in Computer generated Simulation
- Grasping the Elements of Medical caretaker Pay rates: Factors That Shape Your Pay
- More parents refusing this shot that prevents serious bleeding at birth
- NASA releases stunning first images of Earth taken by the Artemis II astronauts
- Make your choice for the bird that catches your heart!
- Manual for Picking the Ideal Wine Matching
- UK forecast to face weaker growth and higher inflation from Iran war
- Jubilant FoodWorks to scrap Dunkin’ franchise arrangement in India
