SpaceX launches 20 Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities

Sheri Walsh

June 4, 2024 at 11:08 p.m.·2 min read

UPI — SpaceX launches its Falcon 9 rocket with 20 Starlink satellites, including some with direc- to-cell capabilities, into low-Earth orbit Tuesday night from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Photo courtesy of SpaceX

June 4 (UPI) -- SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket into orbit Tuesday night with 20 Starlink satellites, including some with direct-to-cell capabilities that will improve access to text and voice data on Earth.

"Ignition and liftoff. Go Falcon. Go Starlink," mission control said as the rocket lifted off at 10:16 p.m. EDT from Launch Complex 40 at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/Rk1bBe6rUW— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 5, 2024

Two-and-a-half minutes into the flight, stage separation was confirmed with the first stage landing on the Just Read the Instructions droneship in the Atlantic Ocean 6 minutes later.

"Falcon 9's first stage lands on the Just Read the Instructions drone ship, completing our first launch and landing this month," according to SpaceX.

Falcon 9's first stage lands on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, completing our first launch and landing this month pic.twitter.com/T42up3gKfh— SpaceX (@SpaceX) June 5, 2024

The Starlink satellites launched Tuesday include 13 with direct-to-cell capabilities that will provide "seamless access to text, voice and data for LTE phones across the globe," according to SpaceX.

Tuesday's launch was the 20th flight for the first-stage booster, which previously launched CRS-22, Crew-3, Turksat 5B, Crew-4, CRS-25, Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G, mPOWER-a, PSN SATRIA, Telkomsat Merah Putih 2 and 10 Starlink missions.

According to SpaceX, Tuesday's launch was also the fastest turnaround for a passive fairing0.

"The passive fairing half for this mission recently supported a Starlink mission launch on May 22 -- less than two weeks ago -- marking our fastest launch-to-launch turnaround for fairing refurbishment and reuse," it said.

Futurism
China Finds Something Strange in Sample Retrieved From Moon
Lunar Graphene Chinese scientists have made an unusual discovery while analyzing the sample Chang'e-5 collected from the Moon's surface in December 2020. They found naturally occurring "few-layer graphene" for the first time, as state-run news agency Global Times reports, which could have major implications for our plans to make use of local resources once on […]
Sky News
Space station astronauts forced to shelter as Russian satellite breaks into more than 100 pieces
Astronauts on the International Space Station were forced to take shelter last night after a Russian satellite broke into more than 100 pieces. The nine astronauts living on the space station were told to shelter in their respective spacecraft, according to NASA, after the debris was spotted. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunni Williams boarded their Starliner spacecraft, the Boeing-built capsule that has been docked since June 6 in its first crewed test mission on the station.
Business Insider
2 'potentially hazardous' asteroids will streak by Earth this week, one as big as a mountain. You can watch it live.
On Thursday and Saturday, two different asteroids will hurtle past Earth at close range. You can watch them both live.
The Canadian Press
NASA taps Elon Musk's SpaceX to bring International Space Station out of orbit in a few more years
WASHINGTON (AP) — NASA has awarded SpaceX an $843 million contract to build the vehicle that will bring the International Space Station out of its longtime orbit of Earth when its operating lifespan ends in a few more years.
PA Media: Science
‘Remarkably preserved’ 500-million-year-old sea creature discovered
New findings have allowed scientists to document features in the extinct animal never seen before.
The Canadian Press
Why NASA astronauts are delayed at the space station after Boeing Starliner launch
NEW YORK (AP) — When two veteran NASA astronauts blasted off on a test drive of Boeing's new capsule, they expected to head home from the International Space Station in a week or so.
CNN
Decades after the famed Kyrenia shipwreck’s discovery, researchers have a new estimate of when it sank
The timeline of a Hellenistic Kyrenia shipwreck stumped researchers for decades. But thanks to a cache of ancient almonds, a new study may have a better estimate.
Reuters
Musk's SpaceX gets $843 million to help discard International Space Station around 2030
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -NASA awarded SpaceX $843 million to build a vehicle capable of pushing the International Space Station into Earth's atmosphere for its planned destruction around 2030, it said on Wednesday, a task originally meant for Russia's thrusters. Under its new NASA contract, SpaceX will build what the space agency called the U.S. Deorbit Vehicle to deorbit the space station and avoid risks to populated areas, with NASA taking ownership of the craft and handling the deorbiting operation.
The Conversation
Lucy, discovered 50 years ago in Ethiopia, stood just 3.5 feet tall − but she still towers over our understanding of human origins
A photo of Lucy’s reconstructed skeleton next to a live four-year-old girl shows how human Lucy was – and how small.
Business Insider
Watch Elon Musk show off SpaceX's massive launchpad and new 'Starfactory'
Elon Musk gave YouTuber Tim Dodd a tour of SpaceX's Starfactory rocket production center.
USA TODAY
When space junk plummets to Earth and causes damage or injury, who pays?
Debris left over from the International Space Station sailed through a family's roof earlier this year.
Fox Weather
ISS astronauts take emergency shelter after Russian satellite breaks up near space station
Astronauts and cosmonauts living at the International Space Station were told to take emergency shelter in their spacecraft after NASA learned a Russian satellite had broken up within the station's orbit, creating a debris field.
Euronews
Europe seeks solutions to remedy increase in space debris
Several EU countries, such as Germany and France, already have space laws, but Brussels will present the first European Space Law in the coming months.
The Canadian Press
China calls on scientists of all nations to study lunar samples, but notes obstacle with the US
BANGKOK (AP) — China's space officials said Thursday they welcomed scientists from around the world to apply to study the lunar rock samples that the Chang'e 6 probe brought back to Earth in a historic mission, but noted there were limits to that cooperation, specifically with the United States.
CNN
Surprising asteroid sample reveals Bennu may have originated from an ocean world
A sample from asteroid Bennu contains organic compounds usually found at midocean ridges on Earth, suggesting Bennu may have been part of an ancient ocean world.
Euronews
Beat them or eat them: What should we do about invasive species in the ocean?
Should we beat them, or eat them? In this episode of Ocean Calls, we’re embarking on a journey to unravel the mysteries of invasive species in EU waters. They unsettle the delicate balance of marine ecosystems, so what can we do about them?
CNN
Discovery of a Bronze Age dye workshop reveals secrets of history’s most precious pigment
A rare, 3,600-year-old purple dye workshop uncovered on a Greek island sheds light on the mysteries surrounding the once revered hue, according to archaeologists.
Business Insider
At least 7 stars in our galaxy have the potential to harbor advanced alien technology, researchers find
After surveying 5 million stars throughout our galaxy, researchers identified seven that may host Dyson spheres: super-advanced alien megastructures.
USA TODAY
Experts say Earth was cooler, not warmer, 55,000 years ago | Fact check
Earth was cooler 55,000 years ago than today, according to researchers.
USA TODAY
NASA: Stargazers will see the 'closest thing to a planet parade' Saturday morning
NASA says Saturday is the best day to view the planetary parade in 2024. But folks will need some equipment to view the celestial phenomenon.

Latest Stories