SpaceX launched 29 Starlink satellites; the Falcon 9 first stage landed on the platform
On August 21, SpaceX launched 29 Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the U.S. Space Force station at Cape Canaveral at 11:14 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, or 3:14 p.m. GMT, according to Space.com.
The launch took place one day later than originally scheduled. SpaceX had canceled a previous launch attempt on August 20; the reasons for that cancellation were unclear at the time.
About eight and a half minutes after launch, the Falcon 9 first stage landed on SpaceX’s unmanned ocean platform, A Shortfall of Gravitas, in the Atlantic Ocean. For booster B1078, this was its 30th launch and 30th landing.
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The rocket’s second stage continued to deploy the satellites into low Earth orbit. The deployment of a new set of satellites was scheduled for 61.5 minutes after launch. According to astronomer and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell, nearly 11,000 Starlink satellites are already operating in orbit.
This flight marked the 98th Falcon 9 launch since the beginning of 2026. Of these, 75 missions were dedicated to deploying Starlink satellites. SpaceX also conducted one Falcon Heavy launch this year and two test flights of the Starship rocket, which is currently under development.
