SpaceX Launches 100th Falcon 9 Rocket of 2026 Carrying Starlink Satellites

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early Tuesday morning, Aug. 25, 2026, deploying 29 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.

The mission marked the 100th Falcon 9 flight of 2026 and set a record-breaking 37th mission for the first-stage booster designated B1067. The 45th Weather Squadron had estimated a 90% chance of favorable liftoff conditions prior to launch.

Following stage separation, the B1067 booster returned to Earth for recovery, targeting a landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas stationed in the Atlantic Ocean about 8.5 minutes after liftoff. The upper stage continued carrying the 29 Starlink satellites toward orbit, with deployment scheduled 61.5 minutes after launch.

The pre-sunrise launch created potential conditions for a noctilucent cloud or space jellyfish effect across the sky. The illuminated exhaust trail was expected to be visible in portions of North Carolina and Florida's Gulf Coast due to sunlight reflecting off the high-altitude plume before local sunrise.

The B1067 booster previously flew numerous Starlink missions and several crewed flights to the International Space Station. SpaceX maintains five other boosters that have achieved at least 30 flights each.

The newly deployed satellites join SpaceX's growing constellation in low Earth orbit designed to provide global internet coverage. According to tracking data from Dr. Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, the Starlink constellation currently includes 11,028 total satellites in orbit, with 9,733 positioned in operational orbit.

Tuesday's flight represented the 77th Starlink dedicated mission of the year. Beyond the Falcon 9 fleet, SpaceX's 2026 launch activities include one Falcon Heavy mission and two suborbital Starship test flights, with Starship's first orbital attempt expected in early to mid-September.