SpaceX successfully launched 23 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit on March 18 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the satellites, included 13 models equipped with direct-to-cell capabilities.
The launch occurred at 3:57 p.m. EDT, with the first stage booster landing approximately eight minutes later on the drone ship "A Shortfall of Gravitas" stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. This marked the 19th launch and landing for this particular booster.
The Starlink satellites were deployed about 65 minutes after liftoff. SpaceX currently operates nearly 7,100 Starlink satellites in LEO. Concurrently, SpaceX's Crew-9 mission returned to Earth from the International Space Station.