In addition to the Starlink mission, the Falcon 9 recently launched the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft to assess damage from NASA's Dart mission to an asteroid.

On October 19, 2023, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, carrying 20 Starlink satellites, including 13 equipped with Direct to Cell capabilities.

Despite concerns regarding liftoff winds that could impact the launch and landing of the Falcon 9's first-stage booster, the rocket lifted off at 7:31 p.m. EDT.

This mission marked the 48th launch from Space Launch Complex 40 in 2023 and the 979th launch from Cape Canaveral.

Approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage booster successfully landed on the SpaceX drone ship 'Just Read the Instructions' in the Atlantic Ocean.

On October 20, SpaceX launched 20 spare OneWeb satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California to enhance Eutelsat's low Earth orbit broadband network.

This launch completed OneWeb's first-generation satellite internet constellation, totaling 634 satellites, surpassing the original goal of 648.

Eutelsat, which now operates 654 satellites in orbit, has a backlog of $4 billion in orders and is awaiting regulatory approvals in markets like India and Saudi Arabia.

Eutelsat aims to integrate into the broader telecommunications ecosystem, recognizing that satellite services are a smaller segment compared to telecom giants.

CEO Eva Berneke announced plans for further satellite launches in the coming years as Eutelsat seeks to expand its services.

Environmental advocates have raised concerns about the potential negative impacts of sonic booms from rocket launches on wildlife and marine life.

The California Coastal Commission recently denied SpaceX's proposal to increase the number of launches to up to 50 a year, prompting SpaceX to file a lawsuit against the commission.