Today, May 29, 2026, SpaceX successfully launched another 29 Starlink internet satellites into low Earth orbit. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 17:57 Tashkent time. About an hour after launch, SpaceX officially confirmed that all units were successfully deployed as part of the Group 10-53 mission. This was reported by Ixbt.com .
This flight drew particular attention as it took place just 12 hours after an emergency incident at a competitor's site. On Thursday evening, Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded during static fire tests at the adjacent LC-36 launch complex. Despite the massive fireball visible from over 160 kilometers away, the incident did not affect SpaceX's preparation process.
For the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage, Booster 1085, this was its 16th flight. After completing its mission, the reusable stage landed successfully on the autonomous spaceport drone ship 'A Shortfall of Gravitas' in the Atlantic Ocean. It will now be brought to shore and prepared for its 17th mission. Previously, this booster participated in key projects such as Crew 9, Fram 2, and Blue Ghost Mission 1.
According to astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell, the total number of active Starlink satellites in orbit has exceeded 10,400 following today's mission. Friday's launch marks the 61st flight for Falcon 9 in 2026 alone, and the 644th flight since the rocket's debut in 2010.
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