SpaceX has reached a major milestone in its satellite internet program, completing its 300th Starlink launch with another batch of satellites sent into low Earth orbit. The mission, conducted on Saturday, September 13, lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 10:55 a.m. local time (1:55 p.m. EDT).
Falcon 9 Delivers 24 Starlink Satellites
The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket carried 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into orbit, bolstering the growing communications network designed to provide high-speed broadband internet around the globe. Just over an hour after liftoff, the satellites were successfully deployed, joining the more than 8,300 already active in orbit.
With this mission, the total number of Starlink spacecraft launched has now surpassed 9,600, although some earlier units have since deorbited.
This flight marked SpaceX’s 115th Falcon 9 launch in 2025, highlighting the company’s rapid launch cadence. Over 70% of these missions this year have been dedicated to Starlink, highlighting the central role the constellation plays in the company’s overall business strategy.
Falcon 9 lifts off from pad 4E in California and completes our 300th @Starlink mission pic.twitter.com/uEkpc0hPwG
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 13, 2025
Booster Lands on Drone Ship After 28th Flight
As has become routine for SpaceX, the mission featured another successful booster recovery. Roughly eight and a half minutes after launch, the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster—designated B1071—landed on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, stationed in the Pacific Ocean.
This was the 28th launch and landing for B1071, putting it just two flights away from the current reuse record of 30 held by another Falcon 9 booster operating from Florida. The milestone is yet another nod to SpaceX’s commitment to reusability, which significantly reduces launch costs and accelerates turnaround times between missions.
And in a testament to its extraordinary pace, SpaceX followed up almost immediately with another launch on Sunday, September 14. While the Falcon 9 wasn’t loaded with Starlink satellites, it did launch Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Cygnus is expected to arrive at the International Space Station for capture on Wednesday, September 17, at 6:35 a.m. ET.
SpaceX has no plans of slowing down. The company has additional Starlink launches lined up for later this week, including another mission out of Vandenberg and two more scheduled from Florida.
