SpaceX launched yet another batch of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit today (Aug. 22).
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 Starlink craft lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in coastal California today at 1:04 p.m. EDT (1704 GMT; 10:04 a.m. local time).
The rocket’s first stage came back to Earth about 8.5 minutes later, touching down in the Pacific Ocean on the SpaceX drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You.” It was the 17th launch and landing for this particular booster (designated B1081), according to a SpaceX mission description.
Previous Booster 1081 missions
The Falcon 9’s upper stage, meanwhile, continued hauling the 24 Starlink satellites toward low Earth orbit, where they will be deployed about 62.5 minutes after liftoff, if all goes to plan.
They will join more than 8,100 other currently operational craft in the Starlink constellation, the biggest satellite network ever assembled. And it’s growing all the time: SpaceX has now launched 102 Falcon 9 missions in 2025, and more than 70% of them have been Starlink flights.
SpaceX has three other launches under its belt this year as well — test flights of Starship, the giant rocket that company founder and CEO Elon Musk hopes will help make Mars settlement a reality.
And SpaceX is gearing up for another Starship flight, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday (Aug. 24) at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT). It will be the 10th launch overall for Starship, which debuted in April 2023.
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