SpaceX launches 48 Starlink satellites, lands rocket on ship at sea

SpaceX has launched another big batch of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit and landed the returning rocket on a ship at sea, Report informs referring to SpaceX website.

A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 48 Starlink spacecraft lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base today at 3:29 p.m. EDT (1929 GMT; 12:29 p.m. local time), piercing a thick layer of fog on its way to the final frontier.

The rocket's first stage returned to Earth for a vertical touchdown on the SpaceX droneship Of Course I Still Love You, which was stationed in the Pacific Ocean. This milestone occurred about eight minutes and 50 seconds after liftoff.

It was the 12th launch and landing for this particular booster, SpaceX wrote in a mission description.

The Falcon 9's upper stage continued hauling the Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO). All of them are scheduled to be deployed there about 19 minutes after liftoff.