Falcon 9 Launches for the 29th Time, Continues Deployment of Starlink Satellites

A Falcon 9 rocket made its 29th flight on Tuesday evening, launching a payload of 28 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 11:54 p.m. EDT. The launch marked a significant milestone for the reusable rocket, which has now completed 29 successful launches and landings.

The first stage of the rocket was recovered as planned, landing back in the Pacific Ocean on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff. The upper stage continued its mission, successfully delivering the satellites into low Earth orbit about an hour after launch. The deployment occurred on schedule, continuing SpaceX’s efforts to expand its satellite network.

View from a rocket's upper stage in orbit, showing a stack of satellites with earth in the background — View from the Falcon 9’s upper stage, showing the stack of Starlink satellites before deployment.

This particular booster, designated B1071, has now been used 29 times. The record for reuse belongs to Booster 1067, which launched its 30th mission in late August.

So far this year, Falcon 9 has completed 127 flights, with over 70% dedicated to deploying Starlink satellites — the largest satellite constellation ever assembled. Currently, more than 8,500 Starlink satellites are operational orbiting Earth, with new satellites continuously being added to improve global connectivity.