Recommended reading

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 27 Starlink satellites to orbit on record-breaking 27th flight (video, photos)

News
By published

SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of rocket reuse.

SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of rocket reuse.

A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 27 of the company's Starlink internet satellites lifted off at midnight (0400 GMT) on Monday (April 14) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

It was the 27th launch for the rocket's first stage, breaking a reflight record that this same booster set two months ago. Sixteen of its liftoffs have been Starlink flights, SpaceX wrote in a mission description.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 27 Starlink satellites from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on April 14, 2025. It was the record-breaking 27th launch for this Falcon 9’s first stage.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 27 Starlink satellites from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on April 14, 2025. It was the record-breaking 27th launch for this Falcon 9’s first stage. (Image credit: SpaceX)
Booster 1067 missions

CRS-22 | Crew-3 | Turksat 5B | Crew-4 | CRS-25 | Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13G | O3B mPOWER | PSN SATRIA | Telkomsat Marah Putih 2 | Galileo L13 | Koreasat-6A | 16 Starlink missions

The booster came back to Earth safely for the 27th time on Sunday as well. A little over eight minutes after launch, it touched down on the drone ship "Just Read the Instructions," which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Falcon 9's upper stage, meanwhile, continued carrying the 27 Starlink satellites toward low Earth orbit (LEO), deploying them there on schedule about 65 minutes after launch.

Related: Starlink satellite train: how to see and track it in the night sky

closeup of the base of a rocket resting on the deck of a ship at night

The Falcon 9's first stage rests on the deck of a drone ship on April 14, shortly after its 27th launch (and 27th landing). (Image credit: SpaceX)
Related stories:

— SpaceX: Facts about Elon Musk's private spaceflight company

— Starlink satellites: Facts, tracking and impact on astronomy

— SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 21 Starlink satellites on record-setting 26th flight (video, photos)

Monday's liftoff was the 43rd Falcon 9 launch of the year already, and the 29th devoted to building out the Starlink network. The LEO megaconstellation currently consists of nearly 7,200 operational satellites and is growing all the time.

SpaceX has two other launches under its belt in 2025 as well — test flights of its Starship megarocket, a powerful, fully reusable vehicle that the company sees as a game-changer for spaceflight and exploration.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Mike Wall
Mike Wall
Senior Space Writer

Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.