SpaceX launched the Starlink 10-54 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 8:37 a.m. EDT on Oct. 22, 2024. The Falcon 9 rocket carried 29 Starlink V2 Mini Optimized satellites into low Earth orbit, just minutes before the Nasdaq stock market opened. This was the 650th flight of the Falcon 9 rocket and the 68th such launch in 2026. The rocket’s first stage, B1080, will attempt its 27th flight and 155th landing on the drone ship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas’ off South Carolina’s coast. The mission marks SpaceX’s first public trading day on the Nasdaq, with shares set to begin trading at 9:30 a.m. EDT.
The Falcon 9 launched on a north-easterly trajectory, with a 80% chance of favorable weather at the start of the 36-minute launch window. Cumulus clouds could affect conditions later in the window. B1080, which previously launched two crewed missions to the International Space Station for Axiom Space, two ISS cargo missions, and the Euclid observatory, has flown 27 times since its first flight in 2019. This will be the 55th Starlink mission of 2024 and the 56th overall mission featuring Starlink satellites.
SpaceX has over 10,500 Starlink satellites in orbit, with plans to expand the constellation further. The company’s stock was priced at $187 per share in its initial public offering, valuing the company at around $120 billion. The launch and IPO come as SpaceX seeks to diversify its revenue streams beyond government contracts and commercial launches.
The mission was live-streamed by Spaceflight Now, with coverage starting an hour before liftoff. SpaceX’s CEO, Elon Musk, tweeted that the company would use the proceeds from the IPO to fund Starlink expansion and develop new rocket technologies. The Falcon 9’s first stage is expected to land on the drone ship approximately eight minutes after liftoff, with the satellites deploying into orbit shortly after.
This is the first time SpaceX has gone public, a move that could reshape the space industry. The company has been valued at over $100 billion in private markets, but its IPO marks a new chapter in its efforts to fund long-term projects like Mars colonization and interplanetary travel.