Reaches 250 Satellite Missions, 20th For Falcon 9 Booster

SpaceX continues to add to its megaconstellation of Starlink satellites with its 48th launch of 2025 that carried 23 more on Sunday April 27. The mission lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at 10:09 pm EDT from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The Starlink satellites were launched into low-Earth orbit and included 13 with Direct-to-Cell capabilities that enable mobile phones to connect to satellites without the need for ground-based cell towers.

The launch was the 20th for the booster, sporting the tail number B1077, and was its 13th Starlink mission. The booster also flew three times to the International Space Station and lifted the GPS 3 Space Vehicle 06 to orbit.

The B1077 nailed its landing on the droneship ‘Just Read the Instructions’ which was prepositioned in the Atlantic Ocean east of the Bahama Islands. It was the 117th booster landing on that droneship and the 438th booster landing to date.

The launch also marked the 250th Starlink mission for SpaceX, a milestone in commercial space operations for a workhorse fleet that approaches an average of one every week. SpaceX confirmed about an hour after the liftoff that the satellites were successfully deployed. The Starlink network now numbers more than 7,200 operational satellites as the company continues its expansion.

SpaceX has deployed nearly 8,500 Starlink satellites, some of which have been replaced by newer models with improved capabilities. Satellites that have reached the end of their lifespan are decommissioned and are programmed to fire thrusters that enable them to maneuver into a safe area for de-orbiting. The satellites then disintegrate and burn up as they fall through the atmosphere.

The de-orbit process was intentionally created to reduce space debris and facilitate a cleaner space environment to minimize the risk of collisions with other satellites and spacecraft.

FMI:  www.spacex.com/