SpaceX has achieved a significant milestone in its spaceflight reusability program by launching its Falcon 9 rocket booster for the 350th time, with the 300th successful landing of a flight-proven rocket stage. The Starlink 9-14 mission, which lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday night, marked this impressive achievement.
The Falcon 9 first-stage booster, B1081, previously supported multiple missions to the International Space Station and launched several climate-monitoring spacecraft. On its 300th successful landing, it touched down on SpaceX’s droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” in the Pacific Ocean.
SpaceX successfully lifted off 20 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into orbit, including 13 with Direct-to-Cell capabilities. This mission brings the total number of DTC Starlink satellites to 349 since the first launch in January.
The milestone comes as SpaceX prepares to roll out cellular service alongside its domestic telecom partner, T-Mobile. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the use of up to 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites at lower altitudes, which will enable lower-latency satellite service for rural and remote areas.
Source: https://spaceflightnow.com/2024/12/04/spacex-to-launch-350th-mission-using-a-flight-proven-falcon-9-rocket-booster-during-starlink-mission-from-california