SpaceX achieved a major milestone on August 18, 2025, with the successful launch of its 100th Falcon 9 mission of the year. The rocket lifted off at 9:26 a.m. PDT (12:26 p.m. EDT) from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, carrying 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit as part of the Starlink 17-5 mission.
This mission marked SpaceX’s 72nd Starlink launch in 2025, bringing the year’s total to 1,786 Starlink satellites deployed.The Falcon 9 booster—B1088—completed its ninth flight, safely landing on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff, contributing to its 145th landing on that vessel and SpaceX’s overall 489th booster recovery.
SpaceX Vice President of Launch, Kiko Dontchev, noted that last year’s comparable milestone wasn’t achieved until October 20, 2024, underscoring a significant increase in launch cadence this year.
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