SpaceX reused a Falcon 9 rocket booster for its 600th flight Tuesday morning, sending 29 new Starlink satellites into orbit from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission, part of the Starlink 10-45 launch, marked the 28th flight for the booster with tail number B1080. Liftoff occurred at 5:10 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex 40, with the rocket heading north-east over the Atlantic. The company now operates more than 10,800 spacecraft in low Earth orbit.
The booster, B1080, previously supported two Axiom Space crew missions, the European Space Agency’s Euclid observatory launch, and Northrop Grumman’s NG-21 cargo flight. After burning through its first stage engines for 8.5 minutes, the booster landed on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean. This was the 161st landing on that vessel and SpaceX’s 638th booster landing overall. The flight came as meteorologists noted a 90% chance of favorable weather at launch, with conditions improving to 95% as the window progressed.
The 45th Weather Squadron warned of a slight risk of thick clouds near the launch pad, which could generate lightning. Officials said lingering clouds from evening thunderstorms might appear at the start of the window but would dissipate by mid-launch. SpaceX’s reuse of B1080 highlights the company’s progress in recovering and relaunching rocket hardware. The booster’s previous missions included a 2023 trip to the International Space Station with Axiom’s first private crew.
SpaceX’s 600th flight underscores its dominance in commercial spaceflight. The company has now launched over 300 Starlink missions, with the constellation nearing 10,000 satellites. The Falcon 9’s reusability has cut costs and accelerated deployment, though critics argue the rapid expansion risks increasing space debris. The mission was the first of two planned Starlink launches this week from Cape Canaveral.