SpaceX successfully launched 21 Starlink satellites from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center early on Dec. 23, with 13 capable of direct-to-cellphone service.

The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 12:35 a.m. EDT and its first stage landed on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean eight minutes later, marking its 15th reuse.

The upper stage continued deploying the satellites into low Earth orbit, Space.com has reported.

This mission was SpaceX’s 129th Falcon 9 launch of 2024, with about two-thirds dedicated to expanding the Starlink network, now exceeding 6,800 active satellites.

Written by B.C. Begley