SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 100th Mission of 2025
SpaceX marked a historic milestone on Monday morning with the launch of its 100th Falcon 9 rocket of the year. The mission, designated Starlink 17-5, lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying a fresh batch of Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit.
Starlink Deployment Continues at Record Pace
This mission represented SpaceX’s 72nd Starlink launch of 2025, bringing the total number of Starlink satellites placed in orbit this year to 1,786. The 24 satellites deployed will further strengthen SpaceX’s growing Starlink network, which is designed to provide global broadband internet coverage.
The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg’s pad SLC-4E at 9:26 a.m. PDT (12:26 p.m. EDT / 1626 UTC), flying on a southerly trajectory.
Veteran Booster B1088 Flies Again
The mission used Falcon 9 first stage booster B1088, marking its ninth trip to space. This booster previously supported several high-profile missions, including NROL-126, NROL-57, and NASA’s SPHEREx/PUNCH rideshare flight.
Just under nine minutes after liftoff, the booster landed smoothly on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You, stationed in the Pacific Ocean. This marked the 145th landing on this vessel and the 489th Falcon 9 booster recovery overall, underscoring SpaceX’s unmatched record in rocket reusability.
Mission Milestone: 100 Launches in a Year
Deployment of the satellites occurred a little more than an hour after liftoff, with the rocket’s upper stage performing a controlled deorbit burn into the Pacific Ocean, east of New Zealand.
This flight was particularly notable as SpaceX reached the 100-launch milestone in August 2025—nearly two months earlier than the same achievement in 2024, which happened on October 20.
“Falcon Launch #100 of 2025. For reference on the increase in launch rate from last year, we hit 100 on Oct. 20th in 2024,” said Kiko Dontchev, SpaceX Vice President of Launch, on X (formerly Twitter)
This marks only the second time in company history that SpaceX has surpassed 100 launches in a single calendar year—a record no other American space company has come close to achieving.
FAQs
1. How many Falcon 9 launches has SpaceX completed in 2025?
Ans:As of August 2025, SpaceX has completed 100 Falcon 9 launches, reaching the milestone earlier than in 2024.
2. What was the mission of the 100th Falcon 9 launch?
Ans.:The mission was Starlink 17-5, which deployed 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit to expand SpaceX’s internet constellation.
3. How many Starlink satellites has SpaceX launched in 2025?
Ans:SpaceX has launched 1,786 Starlink satellites so far in 2025 across 72 dedicated missions.
4. Which booster was used for the 100th Falcon 9 launch?
Ans.:The mission used booster B1088, flying for the ninth time. It successfully landed on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You.
5. What are SpaceX’s future plans for Vandenberg launches?
Ans.:SpaceX has proposed up to 95 annual launches from Vandenberg, including Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy missions, pending regulatory approval.
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