Elon Musk’s SpaceX Successfully Launches Falcon 9 To Deploy 23 Starlink Satellites
Synopsis
High winds in a potential abort site forced the human spaceflight plans of Axiom Space and SpaceX to push the Ax-4 mission to at least Wednesday.
SpaceX (SPACEX) successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday morning from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, deploying 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit.
The launch took place as scheduled at 9:05 a.m. ET from Space Launch Complex 40.
However, high winds in a potential abort site forced the human spaceflight plans of Axiom Space and SpaceX to push the Ax-4 mission from Kennedy Space Center to at least Wednesday.
Ax-4 will be Axiom Space's fourth crewed trip to the ISS. Its astronauts will launch aboard a brand-new SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
On the Falcon 9, of the 23 satellites deployed, 13 are equipped with ‘Direct to Cell’ functionality, expanding Starlink’s ability to deliver mobile connectivity directly to standard devices without the need for ground infrastructure.
The mission highlights SpaceX’s push to scale global mobile services through its satellite network, which is already the largest in orbit.
The flight marked the 12th launch of the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster. The booster successfully landed on the autonomous drone ship ‘Just Read the Instructions’ in the Atlantic Ocean.
This launch follows a week of renewed public tension between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump, who told reporters on Monday that he had no plans to cut off Starlink access at the White House.
“I may move the Tesla around a little bit, but I don't think we'll be doing that with Starlink. It's a good service,” Trump said, referring to the high-speed satellite internet unit of SpaceX.
Trump previously threatened “serious consequences” if Musk supports Democratic candidates, raising questions about the durability of SpaceX’s federal relationships. The company is a key contractor for both NASA and the Department of Defense.
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