On Saturday, April 6, 2024, SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket with 21 Starlink satellites including six Direct to Cell (DtC) satellites. This is the second DoC satellite mission launch after the first batch released with the first Falcon 9 launch this year.
Direct to Cell provides satellite services for smartphones without requiring a separate connection terminal such as Starlink terminal. SpaceX has planned to release text services by 2024 and Voice & Data and IOT services by 2025.
SpaceX Falcon 9 Lifting Off from Space Launch Complex 4 (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on April 6, 2024 (Image Credit: SpaceX)
The launch was officially announced for April 5 but postponed due to unfavorable weather. However, today’s launch gets full support from the weather during sunset.
Liftoff at sunset for Falcon 9 pic.twitter.com/sw6EoiGY82
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 7, 2024
This first stage launch is completing its sixth flight with this mission, which landed on a droneship stationed in the Pacific Ocean. The mission lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Falcon 9 first stage has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship pic.twitter.com/EviRvAFsZV
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 7, 2024
The deployment of these satellites will be completed around 62 minutes in the mission time.