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SpaceX Launches 29 Starlink Satellites as Falcon 9 Booster Lands on 27th Flight

A 27th‑flight droneship landing by the reusable first stage underscores the cadence driving Starlink’s expansion.

Overview

  • Liftoff occurred at 10:35 a.m. EDT on March 19 from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
  • All 29 Starlink V2 Mini satellites deployed into initial orbit about an hour after launch and are temporarily visible as a tight "Starlink train" before dispersing.
  • Skywatchers may see a line of steady moving lights about 45–90 minutes after sunset or before sunrise as the newly deployed satellites pass overhead.
  • First-stage booster B1077 completed its 27th mission with a landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions roughly eight and a half minutes after liftoff.
  • The launch proceeded after a forecast calling for 75% favorable conditions early in the window, as SpaceX prepares another Starlink flight from Vandenberg on March 20 carrying 25 satellites.