SpaceX launched one other batch of its Starlink broadband satellites right this moment (Aug. 30), sending 24 of them up from California’s central coast.
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Starlink craft lifted off right this moment from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 12:59 a.m. EDT (0359 GMT; 9:59 p.m. native California time on Aug. 29).
The rocket’s first stage, designated Booster 1082, got here again to Earth as deliberate about 8.5 minutes later, touching down at sea on the SpaceX drone ship named “Of Course I Still Love You.” It was the fifteenth launch and touchdown for this specific booster, in keeping with a SpaceX mission description.
That quantity, whereas spectacular, is much from SpaceX’s reuse document of 30, which a Falcon 9 booster set this previous Thursday (Aug. 28) on one other Starlink mission.
If all goes to plan on right this moment’s flight, the Falcon 9’s higher stage will deploy the 24 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit 62.5 minutes after launch.
Previous Booster 1082 missions
Today’s launch was the 107th Falcon 9 flight of 2025. More than 70% of those missions have been dedicated to building out the Starlink megaconstellation, by far the largest satellite assemblage ever constructed. It currently consists of more than 8,200 operational satellites, and the quantity continues to develop.
SpaceX has additionally launched 4 different missions up to now this 12 months — check flights of Starship, the large, absolutely reusable rocket it is growing to assist humanity settle the moon and Mars. The most up-to-date of those Starship exams launched on Tuesday (Aug. 26) and was a whole success.