United States - January 30, 2025 VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, California — SpaceX successfully launched 22 Starlink satellites into orbit on 30 January, with a Falcon 9 rocket lifting off at 6:02 p.m. EST (2302 GMT) from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base. The rocket’s first stage made a precise landing in the Pacific Ocean about eight minutes after liftoff, touching down on the SpaceX drone ship Of Course I Still Love You. This marked the 17th flight and landing for the veteran booster, 13 of which have supported Starlink missions. Meanwhile, the Falcon 9’s upper stage continued its journey, set to deploy the satellites into low Earth orbit approximately 61 minutes after launch. This mission was SpaceX’s 14th Falcon 9 flight of 2025—and the ninth dedicated to expanding the Starlink network, which now boasts over 6,900 operational satellites, forming the largest megaconstellation ever assembled.