SpaceX launches 19 Starlink satellites from a California site, successfully landing the rocket on a ship in the ocean (video included)
SpaceX Sets Another Milestone with 27th Launch and Landing of Falcon 9 Booster
SpaceX made history once again with the successful launch and landing of a Falcon 9 rocket on July 31. The booster, designated B1071, touched down in the Pacific Ocean on the SpaceX drone ship named "Of Course I Still Love You," marking its 27th launch and landing. This brings the booster two launches short of SpaceX's reuse record, which was set earlier this month at 29 flights.
The launch, which occurred at 2:35 p.m. EDT (1835 GMT; 11:35 a.m. local California time) from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base, carried 19 Starlink broadband satellites towards low Earth orbit. If successful, deployment will occur 63 minutes after launch.
The Falcon 9 rocket's reuse record is a significant achievement, demonstrating the robustness and cost-efficiency of SpaceX’s reusability program. The record-holder is a Block 5 booster, designed for multiple reuses with only minor refurbishment needed between flights. As of late July 2025, Falcon 9 first stages have been landed and recovered 477 times out of 490 attempts, making up over 95% of launches in 2024 and mid-2025.
Originally, the launch was planned as part of a flight doubleheader, with the Crew-11 mission to the International Space Station for NASA scheduled as the second part. However, the Crew-11 mission was scrubbed due to bad weather.
This marks the 94th Falcon 9 mission of the year, adding to the list that includes 15 Starlink missions, along with other missions such as NROL-87, NROL-85, SARah-1, SWOT, Transporter-8, Transporter-9, Transporter-13, NROL-146, Bandwagon-2, NROL-153, and NROL-192.
The Starlink megaconstellation currently has over 8,000 active satellites, providing high-speed internet connectivity to users worldwide. SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of space exploration and innovation, setting new records and paving the way for a more connected future.
- In light of the Starlink mission, the latest weather report shows a potential improvement for SpaceX's next planned mission, Crew-11, which was previously postponed due to adverse conditions.
- As SpaceX's achievements in space-and-astronomy and technology continue to grow, the science community eagerly awaits updates on advancements in broadband technological capabilities, such as the ongoing Starlink project, with its growing constellation of over 8,000 active satellites.
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