(0) () When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. At left, the first stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket returns to Earth shortly after launching 26 of the company’s Starlink satellites on June 8, 2025. At right, the rocket’s upper-stage engine powers the satellites to their desired orbit. (Image credit: SpaceX) The year isn't even half over yet, and SpaceX already has 70 orbital missions in the books. A Falcon 9 rocket topped with 26 of SpaceX's Starlink broadband satellites lifted off from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base on Sunday (June 8) at 10:20 a.m. EDT (1420 GMT; 7:20 a.m. local California time). It was SpaceX's 70th Falcon 9 launch of 2025. Fifty-two of those flights have been devoted to building out the Starlink megaconstellation in low Earth orbit (LEO), the biggest satellite network ever assembled. You may like