SpaceX deployed 53 Starlink satellites from two Falcon 9 launches on June 28, 2025, surpassing a total of 7,900 and establishing a new record for its LEO internet network.
SpaceX: SpaceX, a giant in the space industry, has once again demonstrated its technical prowess. On June 28, 2025, the company established a total of 53 Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) using two Falcon 9 rockets. With these successful launches, SpaceX's Starlink network has now reached over 7,900 active satellites, making it the largest LEO broadband network to date.
Two Locations, Two Launches, One Mission
The first rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 12:26 AM (EDT), while the second rocket was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 1:13 PM. Both missions were part of SpaceX's Starlink Group 10-34 and Group 15-7 projects.
The process of deploying the satellites into low Earth orbit was extremely precise and timely. Just 9 minutes after launch, the rockets entered orbit and successfully deployed the satellites in about 1 hour.
Booster Landing: SpaceX's Mastery Proven Again
The first stages (boosters) of the Falcon 9 rockets used in both these missions were successfully reused.
- Booster B1092 completed its fifth mission, successfully landing on the 'A Shortfall of Gravitas' drone ship.
- B1088 recorded its eighth successful return on the 'Of Course I Still Love You' drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.
Weather Challenges Overcome
There was a slight delay before the Florida launch due to weather warnings, but ultimately, clear conditions of 10 miles and ideal weather conditions were present at the time of the launch, which propelled the mission towards success.
Experts' Assessment: Network Expansion Historic
According to space analyst Jonathan McDowell,
- The morning mission deployed 27 satellites
- And the afternoon mission deployed 26 satellites.
This increased the number of active units in SpaceX's Starlink network to over 7,900. This is the largest internet-satellite network in LEO orbit to date.
Achievements so far in 2025
As of June 2025, SpaceX has:
- Successfully completed 42 Falcon 9 missions.
- Of which 28 missions were for Starlink satellites.
- Another launch from Vandenberg (booster B1081) had already deployed over 7,600 satellites by June 12.
Why is this Starlink expansion important?
Starlink's goal is to bring high-speed internet connectivity to every corner of the world, especially in areas where traditional internet service is either unavailable or very weak.
The advantages of this rapidly expanding network are:
- Connecting remote rural areas to the internet
- Connectivity for air services and maritime traffic
- Real-time communication in rescue operations during natural disasters
- Collaboration in international military and defense networks
Next Goal: 12,000+ Satellite Meganetwork
SpaceX's next goal is to build and deploy more than 12,000 Starlink satellites, which will encompass the entire Earth in a global digital web. The company is also working on state-of-the-art technologies like Starlink V2 Mini and Starship, which will allow hundreds of satellites to be sent in a single launch.
