SpaceX launches its first big batch of Starlink satellites
Sixty satellites went up on one Falcon 9, the start of what grew into the largest satellite network in orbit.
Archive entry. This article looks back at an event from May 24, 2019. It was drafted with AI assistance from public records and is being fact-checked. See our About page.
On May 24, 2019, a Falcon 9 launched 60 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. It was the first large batch of the satellite internet constellation.
Starlink aims to provide broadband internet to places with poor or no service. SpaceX began beta service in 2020 and has since launched thousands of satellites, with Falcon 9 flying most missions.
Starlink revenue has helped pay for the development of Starship, and SpaceX has also built a business around it for consumers, businesses and governments.
