SpaceX Launches 27 More Starlink Satellites, Boosting Megaconstellation Beyond 7,100

SpaceX added another 27 Starlink satellites to orbit on April 3 with a flawless Falcon 9 launch from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base at 9:02 p.m. ET. Just over eight minutes later, the rocket's first stage nailed a precision landing on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship in the Pacific—its fifth successful mission.

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites lifts off. Image source: SpaceX

This marks SpaceX’s 38th Falcon 9 flight in 2025 and the 407th successful booster landing for SpaceX, underscoring the company's advancements in reusable rocket technology, with roughly two-thirds focused on Starlink, now surpassing 7,100 active satellites, per satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell (Space).

SpaceX has aggressively scaled its Starlink network to provide global broadband coverage, especially targeting remote areas. The launch followed a doubleheader earlier this week, where SpaceX launched another Starlink batch and the Fram2 private astronaut mission, which included a polar orbit—a first for a crewed flight (Teslarati).

The successful reusability streak of Falcon 9 continues to cement SpaceX’s grip on the commercial launch market, and at this pace, they’re on track to exceed last year’s record of 96 orbital missions.

Expect more launches soon—Starlink isn’t slowing down.