SpaceX launched yet another batch of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit from Florida this morning (Sept. 25).
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 28 Starlink craft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today at 4:39 a.m. EDT (0839 GMT).
The Falcon 9’s first stage returned to Earth about 8.5 minutes later as planned, touching down on the SpaceX drone ship “A Shortfall of Gravitas” in the Atlantic Ocean.
According to a SpaceX mission description, it was the 22nd flight for this booster, which is designated B1080.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage continued hauling the 28 Starlink satellites toward low Earth orbit, where they deployed 64 minutes after launch.
SpaceX has now launched 122 Falcon 9 missions in 2025, more than 70% of them devoted to building out the huge and ever-growing Starlink megaconstellation.
Starlink — by far the largest satellite network ever assembled — currently consists of more than 8,400 active spacecraft, according to astrophysicist and satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell.