Vandenberg Village, United States - June 13, 2025 In a monumental achievement, SpaceX launched its 500th Falcon mission by sending 26 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. The historic liftoff took place on Thursday, June 12, at 9:54 p.m. EDT from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Just an hour later, the satellites were successfully deployed, marking another leap for SpaceX’s ambitious global internet initiative. “Falcon completes its 500th overall mission! Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team for making the impossible possible on the road to rapidly reusable rockets!” the company announced. Reusability was once again on full display. The Falcon 9 first stage, serial B1081, made a flawless landing on the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You,” stationed off the coast of Southern California. This marked the 15th flight and landing for this booster. The company’s reusability record stands at 28 launches for a single first stage. The 26 new satellites will add to the Starlink megaconstellation, which already includes more than 7,600 active satellites. Billed as a way to provide “high-speed internet around the world,” Starlink now includes spacecraft with direct-to-cell capabilities, allowing users to send texts and access internet services from select smartphones. So far in 2025, SpaceX has conducted 72 Falcon 9 launches, with 54 dedicated to expanding Starlink’s reach. Thursday's success underlines the company’s dominance in commercial spaceflight and its continued push for affordable, reusable access to space.