Cape Canaveral, Florida – SpaceX successfully launched 28 additional Starlink satellites on Tuesday, July 8, as part of its low Earth orbit broadband network.

The Falcon 9 rocket took off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 4:21 a.m. EDT. Approximately nine minutes later, the satellites reached space, and about 50 minutes after that, they were deployed into orbit.

SpaceX confirmed the deployment of the 28 satellites on the social media platform X.

The Falcon 9’s first stage booster, number 1077, completed its 22nd mission, safely landing on the droneship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” in the Atlantic Ocean.

SpaceX’s Starlink network aims to provide broadband internet to areas lacking coverage or affected by outages worldwide. In collaboration with T-Mobile, Starlink has recently enabled direct-to-cellphone service, which has proven vital for flood-impacted regions in Texas.

“In support of those impacted by flooding in Texas, Starlink is providing Mini kits for search and rescue efforts – ensuring connectivity even in dead zones – and one month of free service for thousands of customers in the region, including those who paused service so they can reactivate Starlink during this time,” the company stated on X.

Additionally, SpaceX and T-Mobile have activated basic texting (SMS) via Direct to Cell satellites for T-Mobile customers in the flooded Texas counties of Kerr, Kendall, Llano, Travis, and Comal. Compatible smartphones in these areas can also receive emergency alerts from public safety authorities.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download