On Sunday, February 25, SpaceX launched 24 of its Starlink broadband satellites from Florida as part of its 18th mission of 2024.

At 5:06 p.m. EST (2206 GMT), a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 Starlink satellites blasted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Approximately 8.5 minutes after takeoff, the first stage of the Falcon 9 returned to Earth. It touched down vertically on the droneship SpaceX A Shortfall of Gravitas, positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.

As per the SpaceX mission description, this was the booster’s thirteenth launch and landing. Its 12 flights to date have included Starlink missions on eight of them.

About 65 minutes after launch, the satellites were placed in low Earth orbit by the rocket’s upper stage as it continued to accelerate toward that location.

SpaceX launched its 18th vehicle of the year on Sunday. And there will be a ton more in the upcoming days, weeks, and months. By 2024, the business wants to have launched 144 orbital trips.

The last two launches of SpaceX were historic ventures. The business launched Merah Putih 2, an Indonesian telecom satellite, on Tuesday, February 20, marking the 300th successful Falcon 9 liftoff to date.

Additionally, the Falcon 9 first-stage booster’s 19th flight on Thursday, February 22, during a Starlink launch tied SpaceX’s record for rocket reuse.