
SpaceX is preparing to launch its next batch of Starlink internet satellites on Sunday (January 19).
This launch comes three days after the Elon Musk-owned aerospace company’s Starship mega-rocket test flight ended in an explosion.
27 Starlink satellites to launch today
A Falcon 9 rocket, carrying 27 Starlink satellites, is scheduled to lift off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base during a 3.5-hour window starting at 10:35am EST.
The Falcon 9's first stage is expected to return to Earth about eight minutes after the launch, landing on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.
This will mark the 10th launch and landing for this particular booster, with seven of its previous nine flights serving Starlink missions.
The Falcon 9's upper stage will deploy 27 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit approximately 61.5 minutes after launch.
Live coverage of the launch will also be broadcast on SpaceX’s X (formerly Twitter) handle five minutes ahead of the liftoff.
This launch will be the ninth Falcon 9 mission and SpaceX's 10th liftoff in 2025.
What happened to SpaceX’s Starship?
On January 16, SpaceX lost communication with the Starship spacecraft mounted atop the booster after successfully catching its Super Heavy booster during the Starship’s seventh test flight launched from Boca Chica, Texas.