Friday Night Light: SpaceX Launch Sends 24 New Starlink Satellites into Orbit
SpaceX Launches 24 Starlink Satellites from California
On July 18, SpaceX successfully launched 24 new Starlink satellites into orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The Falcon 9 rocket took off at 8:52 p.m. local time, and approximately nine minutes later, its upper stage deployed the satellites into low Earth orbit.
The launch marked SpaceX’s 88th Falcon 9 flight of 2025 and the company’s 516th overall mission. The first stage of the rocket completed its 14th mission by landing on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean, demonstrating its reusability.
With this deployment, the Starlink constellation now consists of over 7,965 active satellites out of more than 9,200 launched since 2019. These satellites help provide broadband internet access to remote areas and support direct-to-cellphone connectivity for certain regions and providers.
