Don’t Miss SpaceX’s Historic 31st Flight: Watch the Launch of Its 10,000th Starlink Satellite Live Today!

SpaceX is set to mark two impressive milestones with today’s Falcon 9 launch. This mission will send 28 Starlink satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 10:52 a.m. EDT. As part of the launch, SpaceX will be live streaming the event on their website and social media channels, starting five minutes before takeoff.

Today’s launch is significant for two reasons. First, it will push SpaceX’s total number of Starlink satellites over 10,000. According to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, as of today, SpaceX has already launched nearly 10,000 satellites. Second, this launch marks the 31st flight for Booster 1067, making it a record-breaker for reused rockets.

Since its first prototypes launched in February 2018, Starlink has rapidly evolved. After a beta test in October 2020, the service has expanded to millions of customers worldwide. Supercharging this growth, SpaceX has conducted an astounding 89 Starlink missions in 2024 alone, indicating that their launch frequency is only getting higher. The company has received approval to send up to 12,000 satellites, with plans for more than 30,000 in the future.

Currently, out of nearly 10,000 Starlink satellites, around 8,610 are operational. Most of the rest were intentionally deorbited to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere. Each satellite has an expected lifespan of about five years, emphasizing the need for continuous launches.

If everything goes smoothly today, Booster 1067 will land back in the Atlantic Ocean about 8.5 minutes after liftoff, aboard the SpaceX drone ship, “A Shortfall of Gravitas.” This reusability strategy is a cornerstone of SpaceX’s approach to reducing costs and increasing efficiency in space travel.

Looking ahead, SpaceX is also working on Starship, a fully reusable rocket designed for missions to Mars. Unlike the Falcon 9, which is only partially reusable, Starship aims to revolutionize space travel and exploration.

For space enthusiasts and budding astronomers, the anticipation around each launch continues to build excitement on social media. Many fans share their thoughts and predictions, turning each event into a community moment, all while keeping an eye on the future of space exploration.

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