![](https://smallsatnews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2020/08/SpaceX-56-Starlink-launch.jpg)
Another record breaking SpaceX Starlink launch has been successfully completed, with 56 additional smallsats joining the already 600 Starlinks already on-orbit. The Falcon 9 rocket used to transport the Starlink and SkySat payloads to space has been auspiciously used five times previously by the firm for other missions.
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SpaceX customer Planet also joined in with this launch, with three, Maxar-built, SkySat 19, 20 and 21 smallsats aboard as passengers — this was Planet’s second payload adventure accessing the SpaceX rideshare program.
This trio of smallsats will join Planet’s 18 SkySats already on-orbit. When commissioned, Planet will then possess the largest, high resolution satellite fleet on-orbit to complete their constellation of imaging spacecraft. Planet also operates 100+ Dove smallsats that are on-orbit and they offer wide-angle views that are of a lower resolution.
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SpaceX employed a booster (ID’s as B1049 by the company) with the Falcon 9 launch vehicle that had been used five times previously and, as this mission’s first stage was successfully landed aboard the company’s “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean, another reuse of this unit on a forthcoming launch is highly likely. This sixth landing is another record breaker for the company.
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This was also the first time that SpaceX employed a pair of previously flown fairings. One of the fairings was captured by the “GO Ms. Tree” droneship, while the second fairing managed a soft water landing with recovery by the “GO Ms. Chief” droneship.
![](https://smallsatnews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2020/08/SpaceX-fairing-capture.jpg)
For SpaceX, this was their 99th successful launch using all iterations of the Falcon 9 rocket.
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Launch imagery screenshot captures are courtesy of SpaceX’s live launch video coverage.