Cape Canaveral, United States - February 27, 2025 SpaceX pulled off a stunning late-night launch on Wednesday, sending 21 Starlink satellites soaring into orbit from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Falcon 9 rocket ignited the sky at 10:34 p.m. EST, capping a whirlwind day for the private space giant that saw another mission leap toward the moon just hours earlier. The Starlink launch came after a nail-biting series of delays, with the mission originally slated for 2:26 a.m. scrubbed and pushed back twice on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a separate SpaceX triumph unfolded nearby at Kennedy Space Center’s pad 39A, where the company hoisted an Intuitive Machines mission to the lunar surface for NASA at 7:16 p.m. The rapid-fire launches underscored SpaceX’s relentless pace in its quest to dominate space exploration and connectivity. Eight minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster executed a flawless return, touching down on the drone ship Just Read the Instructions bobbing in the Atlantic Ocean. This flight marked the debut of a fresh first-stage booster, though SpaceX has mastered the art of recycling these rocket workhorses for repeated missions. Eight of the satellites aboard boast cutting-edge direct-to-cell technology, expanding the reach of the ever-growing Starlink constellation. SpaceX remained tight-lipped about the reasons behind the scrubbed attempts, leaving spectators and analysts guessing. Since kicking off the Starlink program in 2019, the company has rocketed some 7,000 satellites into orbit, beaming internet access to remote corners of the globe with speeds topping 300 Mbps. The impact of Starlink is already rippling beyond space. Qatar Airways revealed Wednesday that over half its Boeing 777 fleet has been fitted with Starlink gear since October, joining carriers like United, Air France, Hawaiian Airlines, and Air New Zealand in wiring their planes with the high-speed system. Wednesday’s dual launches in Florida spotlight SpaceX’s bold ambitions, as it fuses innovation with precision to reshape both space travel and global connectivity.