SpaceX continues to make significant strides this year, having reached an impressive milestone with 70 successful orbital missions by early June 2025. This remarkable achievement includes a recent launch on June 8, where a Falcon 9 rocket successfully deployed 26 new Starlink broadband satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The launch, which occurred at 10:20 a.m. EDT (1420 GMT; 7:20 a.m. local time), marked the 70th mission for SpaceX’s Falcon 9 in 2025. Notably, 52 of these missions have been dedicated to expanding the Starlink megaconstellation in low Earth orbit (LEO), which is already recognized as the largest satellite network ever assembled.
Approximately 8.5 minutes post-liftoff, the Falcon 9’s first stage made a successful landing on SpaceX’s droneship, Of Course I Still Love You, stationed in the Pacific Ocean. This booster has now completed its seventh launch and landing, showcasing SpaceX’s reusable rocket technology.
Meanwhile, the rocket’s upper stage successfully deployed the 26 Starlink satellites about an hour following launch, allowing them to navigate and integrate into the expansive satellite constellation that consists of nearly 7,700 operational satellites.
While 2025 has already seen considerable activity for SpaceX, the company remains ambitious with a target of 170 orbital missions for the year. It’s worth noting that the 70 launches do not include three additional suborbital test flights for the Starlink megarocket that took place earlier this year.
This sustained momentum from SpaceX highlights their commitment to advancing global internet accessibility through the Starlink project while also pushing the boundaries of space exploration. As the company strives toward its launch goal for the year, the future looks bright for SpaceX and its innovative technologies.