Aug. 31 (UPI) — SpaceX carried out back-to-back launches of Falcon 9 rockets carrying Starlink satellites into orbit early Saturday, just hours after U.S. officials lifted a temporary ban on the rocket fleet.
The company first launched the Starlink 8-10 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 3:43 a.m. EDT, and quickly followed that just an hour later with another Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Together, the flights delivered 42 Starlink satellites, including 26 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit, SpaceX said.
The Falcon 9 used in the California launch later successfully landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship, while the rocket used in the Florida launch landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, according to the company.
Falcon 9 delivers 42 @Starlink satellites, including 26 with Direct to Cell capabilities, to low-Earth orbit in back-to-back launches from Florida and California pic.twitter.com/1eaiEn64f7— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 31, 2024
The latest launches came shortly after the Federal Aviation Administration lifted an order grounding the workhorse Falcon 9 rockets as it investigated why one of its first-stage boosters crashed onto a landing barge in the Atlantic Ocean this week.
The order temporarily brought a screeching halt to the company’s robust launch schedule, but the agency rescinded it late Friday.
“The SpaceX Falcon 9 vehicle may return to flight operations while the overall investigation of the anomaly during the Starlink Group 8-6 mission remains open, provided all other license requirements are met. SpaceX made the return to flight request on Aug. 29 and the FAA gave approval on Aug. 30,” said the FAA said in a statement issued to media outlets.
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