SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg

SpaceX completed its third Falcon 9 launch in under 41 hours with the Starlink 17-11 mission, lifting off from Vandenberg Space Force Base Thursday night.

The rocket deployed 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit just over an hour after liftoff.

First-stage booster B1082, flying for the 16th time, successfully landed on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, marking the 153rd landing for that vessel and the 512th overall booster landing.

This mission represents SpaceX’s 475th launch using a flight-proven booster and the 540th Falcon 9 launch overall, Spaceflight Now has reported.

The rapid succession of launches highlights SpaceX’s growing cadence and efficiency with reusable rocket technology.