SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9v1.2FT Block 5 rocket from Vandenberg, California, USA at 0344 GMT on 03 January 2024. The launch vehicle was carrying Starlink Group 7-9, a total of 21 v2 Mini Starlink satellites for its second generation constellation. Included in this number was a batch of six Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell phone connectivity. The reusable B1082 first stage, on its first flight, landed on the drone barge Of Course I Still Love You located down range in the Pacific.
Falcon 9 first stage B1082 approached landing for the first time. Courtesy: SpaceX
Jonathan Freeman contributed to this report
