SpaceX knocks out early morning Starlink launch from Cape Canaveral

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Space Coast saw its 23rd launch of the year early Friday with a SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 more of the company’s Starlink internet satellites lifted off from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:12 a.m.

The first-stage booster made its 14th flight and stuck another recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

It was the 275th time SpaceX has recovered a Falcon 9 booster, part of the company’s efforts to reduce costs through reusability.

SpaceX has flown all but one of the launches from the Space Coast this year, with United Launch Alliance responsible for the other, a Vulcan Centaur launch in January.

ULA has its second flight lined up, though, with the last launch ever of a Delta IV Heavy set for next Tuesday from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 37 on a mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. That comes after a delay because of issues with a gaseous nitrogen line to the launch pad that thwarted a launch attempt last week.

But before that, SpaceX has one more Falcon 9 launch lined up, a new rideshare mission for multiple customers called Bandwagon-1 flying from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A during window that runs from 7:12-7:22 p.m. Sunday. The first-stage booster will make a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1, which means one or more sonic booms may be heard on the Space Coast and other parts of Central Florida.