SpaceX launched 51 Starlink satellites into polar orbit from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The launch used a Falcon 9 booster that previously launched Telstar 18 VANTAGE, Iridium-8, and seven Starlink missions. Following stage separation, the Falcon 9’s first stage landed on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean. One half of Falcon 9’s fairing halves previously supported NROL-108 and the other previously flew on GPS III-3 and Turksat-5A.
This launch was the 32nd Starlink mission. It is the first launch of upgraded Starlink satellites equipped with space lasers for satellite-to-satellite links.
