SpaceX to launch its 80th orbital mission

SpaceX has had a successful launch yet again.

A Falcon 9 rocket lofted 23 more of SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Wednesday Nov.8 at 12:05 a.m EST.

It was the 11th launch and landing for this rocket’s first stage, according to the mission description.

The 23 satellites, meanwhile, were scheduled to deploy from the Falcon 9’s upper stage into low Earth orbit just under 65 minutes after liftoff.

Tonight’s mission was SpaceX’s 80th orbital launch of 2023. The majority of those flights have been devoted to building out the Starlink megaconstellation, which beams internet service down to customers around the world.

There are currently more than 5,000 operational Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit, according to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell. Space