On February 22, SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink internet satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Station in California. The Falcon 9 rocket took off at 8:38 p.m. EST, carrying 22 new satellites into space.
About eight minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth successfully, landing on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean. Remarkably, this booster has completed 11 missions, with eight of those dedicated to launching Starlink satellites.
Meanwhile, the rocket’s upper stage continued into orbit, where the Starlink satellites were deployed approximately 62 minutes after launch. This marks the 11th Starlink mission for 2025, from a total of 23 Falcon 9 launches this year.
Currently, the Starlink constellation is the largest ever assembled, with over 7,000 operational satellites, according to Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist and expert in satellite tracking. This impressive network is aimed at providing high-speed internet access globally, especially in remote areas.