SpaceX launches 'direct to cell' Starlink satellites on first mission of 2024

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 21 Starlink satellites from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Jan. 2, 2023 at 10:44 p.m. EST (0313 GMT on Jan. 3; 7:44 p.m. local California time).

"This launch will include the first six Starlink satellites with Direct to Cell capabilities that will enable mobile network operators around the world to provide seamless global access to texting, calling, and browsing wherever you may be on land, lakes, or coastal waters," SpaceX wrote in a mission description.

Credit: SpaceX