SpaceX successfully landed its Falcon 9 first stage booster after launching a record-breaking batch of Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. The company’s 15th Starlink flight, launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Saturday, carried 22 Starlink V2 Mini satellites to an inclination of 70 degrees, surpassing the previous inclinations used by operational Starlink satellites in 2021 and NRO missions.
The launch marked the 121st booster landing for SpaceX’s droneship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ and the 412th booster landing overall. The successful landing comes as part of SpaceX’s efforts to send more than 8,000 Starlink satellites into orbit, with 376 launched in 2025 alone.
According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell’s database, there were approximately 7,078 Starlink satellites remaining on orbit as of February 21. The record-breaking launch brings the company closer to its goal of deploying a massive constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites.
With this mission, SpaceX has completed all eight missions launched as part of Starlink Group 2, with the most recent being Starlink 2-10 on May 31, 2023. However, it remains unclear if any of these satellites are part of the NRO’s Starshield program or replenishing deorbited satellites. As of February 21, McDowell’s database shows that about 12 out of 408 launched Starlink V1.5 satellites are no longer on orbit.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/02/22/live-coverage-spacex-to-launch-22-starlink-satellites-on-falcon-9-rocket-from-california-4