SpaceX's Falcon 9 launches 28 Starlink satellites, marks 137th mission
What's the story
SpaceX has successfully launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites. The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying 28 Starlink satellites, lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Monday. The launch took place at 8:43pm EDT (6:13am India time on Tuesday). This was the company's third mission in the last three days and the year's 137th Falcon 9 flight overall.
Successful landing
Successful landing of Falcon 9's 1st stage
The first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket returned to Earth as planned, landing in the Pacific Ocean on SpaceX drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You." This was the 17th flight for this particular booster, which is designated as 1082. Meanwhile, the upper stage of the rocket continued its journey toward low Earth orbit (LEO) with the 28 Starlink satellites onboard.
Yearly achievements
Over 10,000 Starlink satellites launched so far
The latest launch takes SpaceX's single-year launch record to new heights. The company previously set its orbital launch record at 134 in 2024. So far, SpaceX has launched over 10,000 Starlink satellites, with nearly 8,750 still active in low Earth orbit (LEO) The megaconstellation is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, possibly adding another 30,000 satellites or so.