Jan. 6 (UPI) — SpaceX on Monday launched a Falcon 9 rocket with its first Starlink mission of the new year, sending 24 satellites to low-Earth orbit from Florida.
SpaceX officials said this was the 17th flight of the top-tier booster supporting the mission. In the past, it has featured the Crew-5, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37, Optus-X, Immarsat I6-F2, GPS III-6, NG-20 and nine Starlink missions, SpaceX said.
After liftoff, the booster returned to Earth and landed on the Just Read the Instructions drone in the Atlantic Ocean.
The rocket didn’t arrive at its launch site until Monday morning, according to Spaceflight Now. It’s unclear whether the day’s windy conditions, caused by a cold front that brought snow and freezing rain across the country, were to blame for the delay.