SpaceX Falcon 9 deploys 24 Starlink satellites after California launch

SpaceX has expanded its Starlink satellite network again, launching 24 new satellites on Wednesday, Feb. 11, marking the third launch this month and the 12th this year.

The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 12:11 p.m. EST, successfully deploying the new satellites into low Earth orbit about an hour later.

The rocket’s first-stage booster, B1100, completed its third flight with a propulsive landing on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean.

These additions, part of Group 17-34, bolster Starlink’s 9,600+ satellite constellation, which provides internet in areas with limited connectivity, Space.com has reported.

The network also supports cell-to-satellite calls for select providers and in-flight Wi-Fi on some airlines, including United.