SpaceX has achieved a significant milestone in its quest to dominate the space industry, launching its 70th orbital mission of 2025 on Sunday (June 8). The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying 26 Starlink broadband satellites, took off from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base at 10:20 a.m. EDT.
This launch marks the seventh successful landing of a used Falcon 9 first stage on SpaceX’s Of Course I Still Love You droneship in the Pacific Ocean. The upper stage successfully deployed the Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO) about an hour after liftoff.
The milestone brings SpaceX closer to its goal of launching 170 orbital missions in 2025, but still leaves a long way to go. With nearly 7,700 operational satellites currently in orbit as part of the megaconstellation, the company’s ambitions are clear.
To date, 52 Starlink missions have been dedicated to building out the megaconstellation, with the remaining launches aimed at expanding the network further. SpaceX has already completed three suborbital test flights for its Starlink megarocket in January, March, and May, which were not included in the 70-launch tally.
The company’s busy schedule is expected to continue as it works towards achieving its ambitious targets in space exploration and satellite deployment.
Source: https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/spacex-launches-starlink-satellites-to-orbit-on-70th-falcon-9-flight-of-the-year-photos