SpaceX managed the launch of Starlink from Cape Canaveral on Friday night, the last rocket to blast off from the same launch pad, and set a milestone by using the first-stage booster for a record-breaking 20th flight.
A Falcon 9 carrying 23 more of SpaceX's Starlink Internet satellites lifted off from Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 40, bound for 9:40 p.m.
SLC-40 was used for the last Starlink launch, which arrived at 1:40 a.m. Wednesday, so the turnaround came just two days and 20 hours later, besting the previous record by nearly 26 hours.
Falcon 9 Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/aMZKAFr897
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 13, 2024
The previous record was two launches separated by three days, 21 hours, 41 minutes on August 3 and August 6 from SLC-40.
The first-stage booster SpaceX has flown 20 times, previously on two manned space missions – Inspiration4 and Axiom Space's Ax-1 – as well as GPS III Space Vehicle 04, GPS III Space Vehicle 05, NILSAT 301. , OneWeb Launch 17, ARABSAT BADR-8. and 12 Starlink missions.
Its maiden flight is on November 20, 2020.
A record-breaking, historic SpaceX booster capsizes on its way back to port
It was one of three active boosters that sat on 19 missiles. The previous booster, which had successfully flown 19 times, capsized on its way back to Port Canaveral during rough seas.
SpaceX has made a record recovery drop in the Atlantic on its droneship A shortfall of gravitas.
To date, SpaceX has performed 297 successful booster retrievals from both Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches, with the first coming in December 2015. It has replayed boosters 267 times. It has not had a failed booster landing since February 2021.
Falcon 9 A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship – first 20th launch and booster landing! pic.twitter.com/G0w4IlXzNP
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 13, 2024
It marked the 27th flight from the Space Coast in 2024, with all but two coming from SpaceX, and there could be more than 100 launches between all companies this year. United Launch Alliance flew its new Vulcan Centaur rocket in January and the other two with the final Delta IV heavy mission earlier this week. This year will also see the first launch of Blue Origin's New Glen rocket.
But SpaceX is leading the way in launch space, and the fast turnaround time at Canaveral is part of Elon Musk's goal of hitting 148 flights by 2024 from all of its Florida and California launch sites for its Falcon rockets.
It was SpaceX's 38th mission of the year on those three pads, while it flew an orbital test mission of its development Starship and Superheavy from the Texas launch facility Starbase.
