Starlink launches may have become commonplace, but they were definitely worth staying up for. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket topped with 29 Starlink Internet satellites lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Tuesday (August 25), at 5:33 a.m. EDT (0933 GMT). designated B1067. The Falcon 9 is by far the most active rocket in operation today. Last year, it flew 165 missions, more than all other orbital rockets in the world combined. And all 165 flights were completely successful. Extensive first stage reuse is the Falcon 9’s secret ingredient, making it cheaper and more efficient to fly than its competitors. However, those competitors are racing to catch up, and some are making inroads. In the past six weeks, for example, two different Chinese rockets have improved landings during orbital missions. You may like it, but none of those newcomers have returned to the pad for a second flight. Meanwhile, SpaceX has six Falcon 9 boosters with at least 30 flights under their belt, led by B1067’s 36 (the others are B1077 and B1078 with 30, B1069 with 32, B1063 with 34 and B1071 with 35). And SpaceX plans to take reusability to even higher levels. The company’s next-generation megarocket, Starship, is designed to be completely and quickly reusable, with each vehicle capable of flying multiple times a day, according to SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk. (The Falcon 9 and its cousin the Falcon Heavy are only partially reusable; they have expendable upper stages.) Previous Booster B1067 Launches After launch, B1067 returned to Earth for further recovery and reuse. Approximately 8.5 minutes after takeoff, the booster landed on the unmanned ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas”, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, the rocket’s upper stage will continue to deliver its 29 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit, deploying them there 61.5 minutes after launch. Tuesday’s liftoff was the 77th of 2026 dedicated to building Starlink, by far the largest satellite constellation ever assembled. It currently consists of more than 11,000 operational spacecraft, and that number is growing all the time. The Falcon 9 is not the only SpaceX rocket that has flown this year. The company also launched a Falcon Heavy mission and two Starship suborbital test flights. Starship will attempt to enter orbit for the first time on its next liftoff, which is expected in early to mid-September.
