SpaceX launches Falcon 9 carrying another batch of Starlink satellites

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - SpaceX had another successful launch of a Falcon 9 rocket on Wednesday night, but this one did not have humans on board.

The rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 9:25 p.m., carrying the eighth batch of 60 Starlink satellites into orbit.  The network of Starlink satellites will be used to provide global internet coverage from space. 

“With performance that far surpasses that of traditional satellite Internet, and a global network unbounded by ground infrastructure limitations, Starlink will deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable,” SpaceX says.

Minutes after Wednesday night's launch, SpaceX streamed live video of the Falcon 9's first stage returning to earth, landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.  Approximately seven minutes later, SpaceX live-streamed video of the successful deployment of the Starlink satellites.

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Wednesday's launch had been delayed four times, originally scheduled on May 7, then delayed again on May 17 after a planned launch of a ULA Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral had to be scrubbed. A third and fourth attempt was planned for May 18 and 19 but was disrupted due to the formation of Tropical Storm Arthur.

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