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Liftoff! SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 60-satellites into space

The Falcon 9 rocket launch features the heaviest payload SpaceX has ever had.

SpaceX made history Thursday night by launching the heaviest payload its ever had into space. 

The Falcon 9 rocket launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral at 10:30 p.m. EDT. 

The mission's goal is to move forward the company's plan to create a satellite network capable of providing affordable internet coverage to people all around the world. 

CEO Elon Musk previously shared a photo on Twitter that showed the 60 Starlink satellites packing into the rocket's fairing. He added that this mission's payload comes in at 18.5 tons and is the heaviest-ever for the company.

SpaceX confirmed late Thursday evening that it had successfully deployed the 60 Starlink satellites. 

After Thursday night's launch, the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage landed on the company's drone ship. It was the third time it had successfully hit its mark on the ship after it was used in a September 2018 launch and again in January 2019. 

Two previous launch attempts for the Starlink mission were scrubbed last week for weather and then to "triple-check everything again."

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