UPDATED 1:27 PM ET May. 24, 2025 PUBLISHED 10:42 AM ET May 24, 2025 PUBLISHED 10:42 AM EDT May 24, 2025 SHARE CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — The weather was looking iffy for a Starlink launch on Saturday afternoon, but the launch took place as scheduled. What You Need To Know The Falcon 9 rocket left from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Of the 23 satellites going up, 13 of them will have direct-to-cell capabilities 19 Starlink missions After the stage separation, the first-stage rocket is expected to land on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas that will be in the Atlantic Ocean. About the mission The 23 satellites from the Starlink company will head to low-Earth orbit to join the thousands of their mechanical brothers and sisters. In fact, 13 of those satellites will have direct-to-cell capabilities. “Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capability have an advanced eNodeB modem onboard that acts like a cellphone tower in space, allowing network integration similar to a standard roaming partner,” explained Starlink, which is owned by SpaceX. Once deployed and in their orbit, they will provide internet service to many parts of Earth. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics’ Dr. Jonathan McDowell has been tracking Starlink satellites.