SpaceX launches Falcon 9 with 46 Starlink satellites to orbit; rocket returns to Earth

SpaceX today launched a Falcon 9 rocket with 46 Starlink internet satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The rocket lifted off at 10:40 p.m. PT (5:40 UTC on Wednesday, August 31) and its first stage returned to Earth and landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean. The Falcon 9's first stage booster supporting this mission previously launched Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich, DART, and four Starlink missions.

Falcon 9's first stage has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship pic.twitter.com/PL3RRQv1bv

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 31, 2022

Deployment of 46 Starlink satellites confirmed

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 31, 2022

Starlink is SpaceX's constellation of internet satellites in low Earth orbit, that provide high-speed, low-latency broadband internet across the world, enabling video calls, online gaming, streaming, and other high data rate activities that historically have not been possible with satellite internet.