SpaceX sent another batch of Starlink satellites to orbit tonight (April 28), its second liftoff of the day.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink broadband satellites — including 13 with direct-to-cell capability — lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida tonight at 10:34 p.m. EDT (0234 GMT on April 29).
It was the second Starlink group to fly today; a Falcon 9 lofted 27 of the internet craft from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base earlier today.
The Falcon 9’s first stage rests on the deck of a drone ship shortly after launching 23 Starlink satellites from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 28, 2025. (Image credit: SpaceX)
Tonight’s launch marked the first-ever liftoff for this particular Falcon 9’s first stage. That’s a rarity for SpaceX, which is known for its rocket reuse; one of the company’s Falcon 9 boosters has 27 flights under its belt.
