SpaceX sent 24 Starlink satellites to orbit on Monday (June 15) — a number that nearly matched the percentage-point jump the company’s stock has taken on its first day of trading after going public on Friday (June 12).
A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California today at 11:34 a.m. EDT (1534 GMT; 8:34 a.m. PDT local time).
SpaceX, which now trades under the ticker symbol SPCX on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, confirmed a successful satellite deployment about an hour after the launch.
About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9’s first stage (Booster B1093) landed on the autonomous drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” positioned in the Pacific Ocean. It was the 14th flight for the booster.
The satellites (known as Group 17-54) raised the Starlink megaconstellation to 10,660 active units, according to tracker Jonathan McDowell. The network provides broadband internet access around the world, powers some airlines’ inflight wifi and enables direct cell-to-satellite access for select providers.
SpaceX’s IPO (initial public offering) on Friday was the largest in history, valuing the company at $1.77 trillion and making founder and CEO Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire. More than 4,400 of the company’s past and present employers are estimated to have become millionaires thanks to the move.
The stock was trading at more than $180 per share at the time this article was published.
Monday’s launch was SpaceX’s 69th Falcon 9 mission of the year. More than 80% of those flights have been Starlink missions.