Starlink fleet hits 11,000 as Falcon 9 flights slow
SpaceX deployed 27 Starlink satellites from California, extending a gap in its launch schedule as the company shifts focus to the newer Starship rocket.
By Jason Kovalenko ·
SpaceX launched 27 Starlink broadband satellites from the California coast on Oct. 23, marking the 116th Falcon 9 flight of the year. The mission, designated Group 15-15, lifted off at 6:48 p.m. EDT from Pad 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base. This deployment follows an 11-day interval since the previous Starlink launch, a period that signals a slowing pace for the rocket.
The Falcon 9 first stage booster, identified as B1063, separated from the upper stage approximately 2.5 minutes after liftoff. The booster then reoriented and landed on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" about eight minutes into the flight. This marked the 36th landing for the vehicle, which previously carried NASA's DART asteroid deflection mission in November 2021. The upper stage was scheduled to coast for 45 minutes before performing a final burn to insert the satellites into low Earth orbit.
The Starlink constellation now comprises more than 11,000 active spacecraft. SpaceX has reduced the frequency of Falcon 9 Starlink missions as it develops the larger Starship rocket. Starship is designed for full reusability and features a payload bay capable of carrying Version 3 Starlink satellites, which are too large to fit inside the Falcon 9 fairing. The company plans to phase out both the Falcon 9 and the Falcon Heavy once Starship begins operational flights.
The transition from Falcon 9 to Starship has already altered launch patterns. The 100th Falcon 9 launch of 2026, a Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral, is considered the final such flight from Florida's Space Coast. A similar reduction in frequency may soon occur for West Coast launches. At their peak, Starlink missions launched every two to three days. The launch on Oct. 23 followed a previous flight that occurred more than three weeks earlier.
This year's launch schedule reflects the declining role of the Falcon 9 in the Starlink program. Approximately three-quarters of the 116 missions flown in 2026 were dedicated to Starlink. The 2025 record of 165 launches is expected to remain the busiest year for the rocket. Based on the current rate, the Falcon 9 is projected to complete just under 150 missions by the end of 2026.
