Tech Desk 
Jan 23, 2025
SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket on January 21 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, delivering up to 27 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.
The mission started at 10:45am ET, along with the Falcon 9's first stage returning to Earth after eight minutes. The booster deployed back to Earth on the drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You," stationed in the Pacific Ocean, marking its tenth successful mission.
27 Starlink satellites successfully deployed into orbit
The Falcon 9's upper stage launched the satellites into their respective orbits, deploying them 61.5 minutes after its launch, according to SpaceX.
This particular batch is a part of the Starlink Group 11-8 mission, which is central to SpaceX's ongoing satellite network expansion.
Details of mission and impact on nearby regions
This launch has been bolstered by eight Starlink missions, with the OneWeb 4 and USSF-62 launches.
The mission, which followed an aborted attempt on January 19 due to a no-fly zone violation, emphasised SpaceX’s persistent efforts to expand its company to offer enhanced internet connectivity in uninterrupted areas worldwide.
SpaceX further revealed plans to launch up to 29 satellites due to V2 Mini optimisations.
