And then there were 26 more.
SpaceX again grew its broadband internet constellation on Thursday (June 12), launching a new batch of Starlink spacecraft from California into its group of more than 7,600 active satellites in low Earth orbit.
Riding atop a Falcon 9 rocket, the Starlink units lifted off from Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base at 9:54 p.m. EDT (6:54 p.m. PDT local time or 0154 GMT on June 13).
The 26 new satellites were on track to separate from the Falcon 9’s second stage at one hour and one minute after they left the ground.
Part of their ride was powered by the Falcon 9’s first stage, serial B1081, which SpaceX has flown 14 times before (according to SpaceX’s web page for the 15-6 mission). On Thursday, it again touched down on the ocean-based droneship “Of Course I Still Love You,” which was stationed off the coast of southern California.
SpaceX’s record for reusing a Falcon 9 first stage stands at 28 launches.
The company, led by billionaire Elon Musk, bills the Starlink service as “high-speed internet around the world” and its satellite megaconstellation does now reach around the planet. A growing number of the spacecraft support direct-to-cell capabilities, enabling texting and internet service from certain smart phones and service providers.
With Thursday’s launch in the books, SpaceX has now launched 72 Falcon 9 missions in 2025, of which 53 have been in support of the Starlink service.