SpaceX launched 24 more Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit from California early Sunday morning. This marked the company’s second flight dedicated to expanding its Starlink megaconstellation in less than 24 hours. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 12:31 a.m EDT from Space Launch Complex 4 East in California.
@NASA 's @SpaceX #Crew11 mission is on a roll!
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft rolled to the launch pad at Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A on Sunday.https://t.co/f5k7xmQ5uP
— NASA's Kennedy Space Center (@NASAKennedy) July 27, 2025
The flight’s first stage, B1075, successfully landed on a droneship positioned in the Pacific Ocean. This was the 19th flight for B1075. The flight’s upper stage propelled the Starlink satellites into space, deploying the group about an hour after liftoff.
Timelapse of Dragon and Falcon 9 going vertical at pad 39A pic.twitter.com/OjSiqO1yya
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 27, 2025
These two rapid-fire launches increased the total number of active Starlink units in orbit to 8,032.
Falcon 9 and Dragon roll out to the launch pad at 39A in Florida for @NASA’s Crew-11 mission to the @Space_Station pic.twitter.com/PeElJtaAyT
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) July 27, 2025
Sunday morning’s mission also marked SpaceX’s 95th mission of 2025, with 92 of those launches occurring on Falcon 9 rockets.
starlink
It was the company’s 520th completed mission since its founding in 2008.
LAUNCH at 0431 UTC Jul 27 of Starlink 17-2 from Vandenberg
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) July 27, 2025
The mission, dubbed Starlink 17-2, took a southerly trajectory from Space Launch Complex 4 East to deploy the satellites into a polar orbit. This aims to enhance internet services in polar regions.
This mission is part of SpaceX’s broader plan to expand its Starlink constellation and improve global internet coverage. It is also a precursor to the company’s upcoming and final planned astronaut mission of the year, set to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida later this week. As preparations continue for this astronaut mission, known as Crew-11, the four crew members arrived in Florida on Saturday for a launch rehearsal.
The crew includes Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Mike Fincke, and NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Peggy Whitson. SpaceX continues to push the frontiers of space exploration with its innovative technology and an ambitious launch cadence. The company’s efforts are reinforcing the ever-growing collaboration between governmental and private space agencies.
