John Paul M. Joaquin Science 05.31.2023 05:May AM EDT

SpaceX Successfully Puts 52 Starlink Satellites Into Orbit

SpaceX's Starlink is steadily growing with each SpaceX rocket launch.

The private space company recently launched one of its Falcon 9 rockets to deliver more than 50 of its Starlink broadband satellites to orbit, with the rocket making a vertical touchdown in the Pacific Ocean.

There are now more than 4,500 satellites going around the planet in low-Earth orbit (LEO), per Jonathan's Space Pages.

(Photo : STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

SpaceX May 31 Starlink Launch Details

SpaceX launched 52 Starlink satellites into LEO using one of its Falcon 9 rockets on May 30 from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, at 11:02 PM PT, per SpaceX's description of the mission.

According to Space.com, the first stage of the Falcon 9 SpaceX launched for this mission returned to Earth as planned about 8 minutes and 45 seconds after launch, and it made a vertical touchdown on the company's drone ship named "Of Course I Still Love You," which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean.

While it is unknown when the Falcon 9's first stage will return to the company for refitting for its new mission, the feat of executing a vertical touchdown around open water through a drone ship is still something worth noting, especially for SpaceX.

Meanwhile, the Falcon 9's upper stage continued on to Earth's low orbit, deploying all 52 about 17.5 minutes after launch, which it confirmed over Twitter.

SpaceX notes that the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket used in the mission now had 14 successful launches and landings - it previously launched SpaceX's Crew-1 and Crew-2 missions to the ISS, as well as other notable missions, such as SXM-8, CRS-23, and IXPE.

Thanks to the success of SpaceX's recent Starlink mission, the Falcon 9's first stage now has five successful Starlink missions under its belt.

As a result of this successful Starlink mission, SpaceX now has more than 4,500 Starlink satellites orbiting the planet in LEO, though only more than 4,100 are currently active, per astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell.

Despite the abundance of Starlink satellites in Earth's orbit, SpaceX plans on launching more of its satellites in the foreseeable future; it already has permission to send 12,000 Starlink satellites into orbit soon.

SpaceX Starlink Satellite Features

SpaceX's Starlink satellites are constantly improving to help deliver the best satellite broadband internet service imaginable. As such, SpaceX went through various satellite models to do just that.

According to Spaceflight Now, the current Starlink satellite model in use weighs approximately 573 lbs. and utilizes a krypton-fueled electric propulsion system, communications antennas, a deployable solar panel, and a sun-blocking vizor to reduce its visibility from the ground.

SpaceX also added "laser links" to its new Starlink satellites that allow them to send and receive data with each other in Earth's low orbit, allowing them to reach even more remote areas like Antarctica, Alaska, and northern Canada.

Thanks to their improved capabilities, the current Starlink satellites can even provide users with faster and adaptable internet connections and beam satellite internet service directly to smartphones.