SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites from Florida

SpaceX successfully launched 23 Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on March 18. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 3:57 p.m. EDT. Among the satellites, 13 have a special feature that allows direct communication with mobile phones. The rocket's first stage landed safely on the drone ship named "A Shortfall of Gravitas" in the Atlantic Ocean about eight minutes after launch. This was the 19th successful mission for this particular booster. Approximately 65 minutes into the flight, the Falcon 9's upper stage released the satellites into low Earth orbit. SpaceX now operates close to 7,100 Starlink satellites, making it the largest satellite network in history. On the same day, SpaceX also welcomed the return of its Crew-9 mission. A Crew Dragon capsule named Freedom brought back three NASA astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut from the International Space Station. The capsule splashed down off the Florida coast at 5:57 p.m. EDT.