On October 18, SpaceX successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket with the Starlink 13 v1.0 mission, having launched a full stack of 60 Starlink satellites into orbit. The liftoff was streamed on SpaceX's YouTube channel as usual.
The Falcon 9 rocket launched from the LC-39A complex at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on October 18 at 8:25 AM EDT.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/nocQLTMe1G
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 18, 2020
According to the already worked out scheme, two and a half minutes later, the first stage separated, and on the ninth minute after launch, it landed on one of SpaceX's drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship pic.twitter.com/mGBLwsC6Gs
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 18, 2020
During the launch, SpaceX used and landed the same first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket for the sixth time. This is the second such launch. SpaceX first launched and returned the same first stage of the Falcon 9 for the sixth time during the August Starlink 10 v1.0 mission.
Deployment of 60 Starlink satellites confirmed pic.twitter.com/QVv8m7gClz
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 18, 2020
The Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket's current version can be reused up to 10 times with intermediate technical inspections and up to 100 times with partial replacement of first stage parts. And even though SpaceX is gradually reducing the intervals between launches of the same stage, Elon Musk's plan to launch the same stage twice a day is still a dream. The current Falcon 9 reuse speed record is 51 days.
The second stage delivered the satellites to the orbit as planned.
Falcon 9 launches 60 Starlink satellites – one step closer to providing high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable, expensive, or completely unavailable pic.twitter.com/3J06rSFBqm
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 18, 2020
