SpaceX will notch two big milestones on a single Falcon 9 launch today (Oct. 19), and you can watch the action live.
SpaceX has lofted 9,988 Starlink satellites to date, according to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell.
SpaceX launched its first two Starlink prototypes to low Earth orbit (LEO) in February 2018, then began building the megaconstellation in earnest 15 months later.
The pace has reached extraordinary levels lately: SpaceX launched 89 Starlink missions in 2024 and has already exceeded that number this year.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage, meanwhile, will haul the 28 Starlink satellites to LEO today, deploying them about 64 minutes after launch.
Two significant milestones will be reached by SpaceX with a single Falcon 9 launch today (Oct. 19), and the action is live to watch.
Today, 28 of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband satellites will be launched by a Falcon 9 from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station over a four-hour window that begins at 10:52 a.m. A. EDT, or 1452 GMT.
Astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell says SpaceX has launched 9,988 Starlink satellites so far. With today’s launch, that figure will surpass 10,000. Additionally, the first stage of this Falcon 9’s booster, designated 1067, will lift off for the record-breaking 31st time.
You can witness history in real time: starting approximately five minutes prior to launch, SpaceX will broadcast the flight live on its website and X account.
15 months after launching its first two Starlink prototypes into low Earth orbit (LEO) in February 2018, SpaceX started construction on the megaconstellation. In October 2020, the business launched a public beta test of Starlink service, and the following year, it began a commercial rollout.
Millions of customers worldwide currently use Starlink’s services, and SpaceX keeps improving that offering by launching an increasing number of satellites to the farthest reaches.
SpaceX launched 89 Starlink missions in 2024 and has already surpassed that total this year, indicating that the pace has recently reached unprecedented heights. Expect it to continue for some time to come, as SpaceX already has authorization to launch 12,000 Starlink satellites, and the megaconstellation may eventually include over 30,000 spacecraft.
According to McDowell, the majority of SpaceX’s 9,988 Starlink satellites are still in operation, with 8,610 as of right now. The majority of the others have been deorbited and directed to burn up in the atmosphere of Earth. The operational lifespan of each Starlink satellite is roughly five years. ).
On the SpaceX drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas,” Booster 1067 will return to Earth approximately 8:05 minutes after liftoff, landing in the Atlantic Ocean. According to a SpaceX mission description, it will be the booster’s 31st launch and landing.
SpaceX’s strategy to reduce the cost and boost the efficiency of spaceflight includes such widespread rocket reuse.
In order to help humanity settle Mars, the company is working on a massive, fully reusable rocket called Starship, which could soon be a significant advancement in that already successful approach. Both the Falcon 9 and its close relative, the Falcon Heavy, have expendable upper stages and are only partially reusable. ().
About 64 minutes after launch, the upper stage of the Falcon 9 will deploy the 28 Starlink satellites by bringing them to low Earth orbit (LEO) today.
