Watch | SpaceX Falcon 9 launches 28 Starlink satellites, booster flies eighth time

SpaceX launched 28 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit early Tuesday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at 2:46 a.m. EDT (0646 GMT), marking the company’s 130th mission of the year and the rocket’s 126th flight in 2025.

The first stage of Falcon 9 returned about 8.5 minutes after liftoff, landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean.

Watch Falcon 9 launch 28 @Starlink satellites to orbit from Florida https://t.co/4SZ9F9yI3d

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 7, 2025

It was the eighth launch and landing for this booster, designated B1090, which had previously supported missions including CRS-33, O3b mPOWER-E, Crew-10, Bandwagon-3, O3b mPOWER-D, and two earlier Starlink flights.The rocket’s upper stage continued carrying the satellites to low-Earth orbit, where they are scheduled to deploy about 64 minutes after launch.

Falcon 9 launches 28 @Starlink satellites from Florida pic.twitter.com/xVK13vV8Nr

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 7, 2025

The mission, named Starlink 10-59, adds to SpaceX’s growing network of more than 8,500 Starlink satellites designed to expand global broadband internet coverage.

Persistent storms over the Atlantic and central Florida had delayed the mission for several days before the successful launch.

In addition to Falcon 9 missions, SpaceX has conducted four suborbital test flights of its Starship rocket this year, with the fifth scheduled for October 13.