SpaceX launched the first upgraded Starlink satellites for its next-generation constellation early Wednesday, following authorization from regulators earlier this month.
Fifty-four satellites were launched to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 4:34 a.m. on Dec. 28. It was the eleventh launch and landing for the Falcon 9 first-stage booster.
A video shared by Twitter user @livelaughlov2X2 in Daytona Beach, about 65 miles north of the launch site, shows the small, orange glow of the distant rocket climbing in the dark sky.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission partially granted the new license on Dec. 1, allowing SpaceX to launch up to 7,500 of the planned 29,988 satellites in the Starlink Gen2 network.
The Gen2 constellation will populate new orbital positions. The FCC said the decision for the full number is deferred, giving time “to address concerns about orbital debris and space safety.”
“Under our new license, we are now able to deploy satellites to new orbits that will add even more capacity to the network,” SpaceX said in a statement. “Ultimately, this enables us to add more customers and provide faster service – particularly in areas that are currently over-subscribed.”
