The rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 3:25 a.m. EDT, marking the 100th Falcon mission of 2026. It was the 99th launch this year by a Falcon 9, while the other mission was carried out by a Falcon Heavy in April.
The milestone comes as SpaceX continues to rely heavily on Starlink missions to fill its launch schedule. Of the 99 Falcon 9 launches carried out this year, 76 have been dedicated to deploying Starlink satellites.
Saturday’s Falcon 9 also continued the company’s push to reuse its rockets. The first-stage booster, designated B1100, landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific Ocean about 8.5 minutes after liftoff. It was the booster’s ninth flight.
The 27 Starlink satellites remained aboard the rocket’s upper stage and were deployed into low Earth orbit about 62 minutes after launch.
SpaceX has said it plans to expand the constellation significantly with its next-generation Starlink V3 satellites, with a target of launching 100,000 spacecraft. The company has also outlined plans for large numbers of orbital data centers, which would rely on its Starship vehicle, still under development.
