- Published on
SpaceX launches Falcon 9 Starlink mission for 1st time in more than 3 weeks
- Authors
- Name
- DeepHorus
SpaceX launched 27 Starlink internet satellites to low Earth orbit on Oct. 12, ending an unusually long Falcon 9 Starlink launch drought. The Falcon 9 lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base at 8:28 p.m. EDT (5:28 p.m. local time; 0028 GMT on Oct. 13). It was the first Falcon 9 Starlink mission since Sept. 19. That earlier flight also carried 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg.
The three-week-plus gap was notable given SpaceX's recent Starlink cadence. Between Aug. 19 and Sept. 6, a span of only 19 days, the company launched seven Starlink missions with Falcon 9 rockets. The contrast underscores how quickly SpaceX's launch rhythm can change. It also comes as SpaceX tests and transitions to its next-generation Starship vehicle.
SpaceX did loft more Starlinks after Sept. 19, but not on Falcon 9. On Sept. 28, Starship's 14th test flight carried 26 next-gen Starlink V3 craft. Starship reached orbit for the first time ever on that flight and successfully deployed the satellites. Elon Musk has said the Starlink V3 constellation will eventually consist of about 100,000 satellites, all of which will fly on Starship.
SpaceX plans to sunset Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy in the next few years, shifting their duties to the fully reusable, far more powerful Starship. Starship remains in the test-flight phase. The shift will be significant for the spaceflight community because Falcon 9 is the workhorse rocket of its generation. In 2025, Falcon 9 flew 165 times, roughly the same number as the rest of the world's orbital launchers combined.
Nearly three-quarters of those Falcon 9 launches in 2025 were Starlink missions. In 2026, launch activity has slowed somewhat. The Oct. 12 flight was the 112th Falcon 9 liftoff of the year and the 82nd in service of the Starlink megaconstellation. That constellation currently consists of more than 11,100 active satellites.
All went according to plan on the Oct. 12 mission. The Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth about 8.5 minutes after launch, touching down on the drone ship 'Of Course I Still Love You' in the Pacific Ocean. It was the 20th launch and landing for booster B1088. The rocket's expendable upper stage delivered the 27 spacecraft to LEO, deploying them 62 minutes after liftoff, SpaceX announced via X.
The mission highlights SpaceX's continued reliance on Falcon 9 while preparing for a Starship-dominated future. It also shows that Starlink expansion remains central to the company's launch manifest. If Starship meets its goals, it could eventually handle all Starlink V3 launches and reshape the global launch industry. For now, Falcon 9 remains the primary vehicle for deploying the Starlink megaconstellation.
