On January 24, SpaceX successfully launched 23 Starlink satellites into orbit from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 9:07 a.m. EST (1407 GMT; 6:07 a.m. local time), further advancing the company’s ambitious space program.
Just eight minutes after launch, the Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth, landing safely on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean. This marks SpaceX’s 401st successful recovery of an orbital-class booster, a key achievement in the company’s goal of making rocketry more reusable.
The booster involved in this mission has completed 23 flights, with 14 of those dedicated to deploying Starlink satellites. The upper stage of the Falcon 9 rocket will carry the 23 satellites to low Earth orbit, where they are expected to be deployed roughly 64 minutes after takeoff.
This launch is the 11th Falcon 9 mission of 2025 and the seventh dedicated to Starlink. The Starlink constellation, which is already the largest of its kind, now has over 6,900 operational satellites, according to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell.
SpaceX’s Starlink program continues to expand, with the goal of providing global high-speed internet access, especially in remote and underserved regions. This latest mission moves the constellation closer to achieving worldwide coverage.
The success of this launch underscores SpaceX’s leadership in the commercial space industry, showcasing its continued innovation in satellite deployment and reusable rocket technology.
