The Falcon 9 carried with it 29 Starlink internet satellites for deployment in low-Earth orbit. This was the ninth flight for the Falcon 9 first-stage booster, which previously launched NROL-69, CRS-32, GPS III-7, USSF-36, and now five Starlink missions. A short while after stage separation, the booster made a perfect touchdown on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship, which was waiting in the Atlantic Ocean. It’s been an impressive year for the Falcon 9 as it roars toward setting a new launch record for the 12-month period. Last year’s launch tally reached 132, but 2025 will see around 160 Falcon 9 launches. And no, that doesn’t mean SpaceX needs to perform another 60 launches in the next two weeks. SpaceX has been making increasing use of its other launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, a factor that’s helped it to set the new Falcon 9 launch record. The vast majority of this year’s Falcon 9 launches have involved the deployment of Starlink satellites, while others have been for governments and organizations putting their own satellites in orbit. SpaceX has been able to ramp up its Falcon 9 launch frequency thanks to a design that allows the rocket to land upright and be used for multiple missions. The company has numerous boosters that have already taken many flights, with one leading the pack with an impressive 32 launches and landings. SpaceX is applying what it’s learned to its next-gen Starship rocket, a massive vehicle that should one day be blasting crew and cargo to the moon and even Mars. Engineers have already worked out how to land Starship’s Super Heavy booster back on Earth, but getting the upper stage to the moon is another challenge altogether.