SpaceX continues its rapid launch cadence with the successful liftoff of 28 Starlink V2 Mini satellites aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday night.
The Starlink 6-74 mission lifted off at 9:52 p.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40, following a south-easterly trajectory. According to the 45th Weather Squadron, conditions were near-perfect, with over a 95% chance of favorable weather during the window.
23rd Flight for Veteran Booster B1069
The mission featured the Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1069, which flew for a record 23rd time. Past missions for this workhorse include CRS-24, Eutelsat Hotbird 13F, and 18 previous Starlink batches. Just over eight minutes after launch, the booster touched down on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic Ocean. This marks the 105th landing on this drone ship and SpaceX’s 435th successful booster recovery overall.
Expanding Global Starlink Service
Roughly 65 minutes post-launch, the 28 satellites were successfully deployed into low-Earth orbit. These V2 Mini models are optimized for better performance and broader coverage. This mission supports Starlink’s ongoing global expansion, with recent service now available in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Busy Week for SpaceX and Florida’s Space Coast
This launch came just days after a pair of back-to-back Falcon 9 launches on April 21. One carried a Dragon cargo capsule to the International Space Station, while another deployed a rideshare mission of small satellites under Bandwagon-3. Combined with a launch from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base on April 20, SpaceX launched three rockets within just 36 hours.
“Two successful launches in one day? Just another Florida thing,” Space Florida posted, highlighting the state’s growing role in commercial spaceflight.
What’s Next?
With its steady tempo and reusable rocket technology, SpaceX is setting new standards in the industry. More Starlink launches are on the horizon as the company races to expand its low-latency satellite internet around the globe.