CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. — Hours before dawn, SpaceX sent a Falcon 9 rocket into space with another batch of Starlink satellites Saturday.
What You Need To Know
- SpaceX sends another batch of Starlink satellites
- Also sends satellites from other companies in "Rideshare" program
- WATCH LIVE: Jump to live stream below
- RELATED: SpaceX Launches Another Batch of Starlink Satellites into Orbit
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with 58 more satellites to add to its growing broadband communications constellation, along with three SkySats from Planet Labs, part of SpaceX's rideshare program.
SpaceX says the rocket booster being used for the mission was previously used on a couple of resupply missions for the International Space Station.
SpaceX's Starlink system's goal is to provide consumer broadband internet service to underserved areas around the world.
Planet Labs, meanwhile, is operating a series of specialized Earth imaging satellites.
After Saturday morning'slaunch, the SpaceX ships are ready to recover the Falcon 9 first stage booster on their drone ship, plus the rocket's two fairing halves, several hundred miles out in the Atlantic Ocean.
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Starlink's constellation has more than of 520 satellites in orbit so far, with thousands more expected in the coming years.
This is the ninth Starlink launch, with this one deemed number 8 operational flight.
The company's last Starlink launch was just over a week ago.