Alexander Lewis 
Dec 07, 2023
SpaceX embarked on its 90th orbital mission of 2023, shooting another cluster of Starlink internet satellites into orbit during an early Thursday morning launch from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
At precisely 12:07am EST (0507 GMT), a Falcon 9 rocket, carrying 23 Starlink spacecraft, took flight, marking another stride in the company's ongoing initiative to bolster global internet connectivity.
In a spectacular display of precision, the Falcon 9's first stage gracefully returned to Earth, executing a flawless vertical landing just 8.5 minutes post-launch. The target? SpaceX's trusty droneship, "Just Read the Instructions," stationed in the Atlantic Ocean along Florida's coastline.
Impressively, this mission marked the ninth successful launch and landing for the booster, a testament to SpaceX's reusability efforts and technological prowess.
Approximately 65 minutes after liftoff, the 23 Starlink satellites were primed to disperse into low Earth orbit from the Falcon 9's upper stage, contributing further to the expansive Starlink network.
SpaceX's cadence of spaceflight triumphs continues to soar. With a previous annual record of 61 launches, the company is raising the bar even higher. Anticipating a stellar year ahead, SpaceX aims for a staggering 144 launches in 2024, promising an era of intensified space exploration and innovation.
