Latest SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch Set Records

On March 19, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket to place 53 new Starlink satellites into orbit. The Falcon 9 launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 12:42 AM Eastern. The launch did require the last of two opportunities to launch after storms in the area prevented the launch at 11:24 PM Eastern on March 18.

The 53 Starlink satellites were placed into an orbit about 320 kilometers above the Earth. One of the records set during the launch was noted by Elon Musk for being the heaviest Falcon 9 payload ever placed into orbit, weighing 16.25 metric tons.

With the launch and deployment of the satellites complete, SpaceX now has 2335 Starlink satellites in orbit. Currently, 1575 of those satellites are in their intended operational orbits, with another 450 satellites currently moving towards operational orbits.

The second record set by this flight was a new high for booster reuse. The Falcon 9 booster designated B1051 used for the launch flew for the 12th time. This particular booster was also used in the Demo-1 crew test flight three years ago.