SpaceX began another busy week with three Falcon 9 launches and the third Starship rocket test flight on Thursday.
The business launched 22 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Monday.
The Falcon 9 rocket launched the Starlink 7-16 mission from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at 7:28 p.m. PT (1028 ET, 0228 UTC).
SpaceX's Falcon 9 first stage rocket, B1075, launched for the 10th time. It launched two NASA missions and seven Starlink missions.
After eight minutes, B1075 landed aboard the SpaceX droneship ‘Of Course I Still Love You.’ SpaceX made its 285th rocket touchdown and 86th OCISLY landing.
While this mission is underway, SpaceX and NASA are ready to launch a Cargo Dragon from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SpaceX will transport freight and science to the orbiting outpost for the 30th time under its Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA.
The first second-generation Dragon spacecraft to launch from SLC-40 to the International Space Station is likewise unique. After the first Dragon capsule retired in March 2020 after the CRS-20 flight, operations moved to pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.