The satellite, named Biomass, launched with a rocket from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, New Guinea, and separated from the rocket less than an hour after launch, the ESA said in a news release. About 75 minutes after the launch, ESA satellite controllers received Biomass' first signal, indicating that the satellite is working as expected in orbit.

SpaceX is scheduled to launch 28 Starlink satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Thursday, May 1. This will be the 251st SpaceX satellite launch to date. Nearly 8,400 satellites have been deployed, and 7,264 remain in orbit.