On Saturday, June 13 at 5:21 a.m. EDT, 9:21 UTC, SpaceX successfully launched its ninth Starlink mission, carrying 58 Starlink satellites and three of Planet's SkySats. This mission marked SpaceX’s first SmallSat Rideshare Program launch.
Falcon 9’s first stage previously supported Dragon’s 19th and 20th resupply missions to the International Space Station. Following stage separation, SpaceX's Falcon 9 first stage landed on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
One half of Falcon 9’s fairing previously flew on the JCSAT-18/Kacific1 mission, and the other half previously flew on SpaceX’s third Starlink mission. Planet’s SkySats were deployed sequentially beginning about 12 minutes after liftoff, and the Starlink satellites deployed approximately 26 minutes after liftoff.
You can watch a replay of the launch webcast above, and if you would like to receive updates on Starlink news and service availability in your area, please visit starlink.com.