SpaceX achieves new milestone with 20th Falcon 9 re-flight

Falcon 9's successful return coincides with Space Shuttle's anniversary

Interestingly, the Falcon 9's landmark launch coincided with the anniversary of NASA's first reusable spacecraft, the Space Shuttle, which had its inaugural flight on this day in 1981. As per SpaceX's mission plan, approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage made a successful return to Earth. The rocket touched down on a drone ship named 'A Shortfall of Gravitas,' strategically located in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida's coast.

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Deployment of Starlink satellites into orbit

While the first stage of Falcon 9 returned to Earth, its upper stage continued its mission to deliver Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit (LEO). The deployment of these 23 internet satellites was scheduled to occur approximately 65.5 minutes after liftoff. The satellite deployment has now been confirmed. This successful mission further underscores SpaceX's commitment to rocket reusability, a key component in CEO Elon Musk's ambitious vision for more affordable and frequent space travel.

SpaceX breaks previous Falcon 9 record

The previous record for a Falcon 9 booster was set at 19 flights in December 2023. This record was equaled in February and March of 2024. However, with the successful launch on April 12, SpaceX has now surpassed this record by achieving the 20th re-flight of a Falcon 9 rocket. The latest accomplishment is part of an impressive total of 38 orbital missions launched by SpaceX so far this year, with most of them focused on expanding Starlink broadband megaconstellation.