SpaceX launches 27 Starlink satellites from California on a veteran Falcon 9 booster.

SpaceX launched a fresh batch of 27 Starlink broadband internet satellites on October 23 from the California coast. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 6:48 p.m. EDT from Vandenberg Space Force Base, carrying the spacecraft stacked inside its payload fairing. The rocket's first-stage booster, designated B1063, separated about 2.5 minutes into the flight and landed successfully on the SpaceX droneship "Of Course I Still Love You." This mission marked the 36th flight and landing for B1063, a veteran booster that previously launched NASA's DART asteroid mission in 2021.

Following a coast period, the upper stage was scheduled to deploy the satellites into low Earth orbit about 62 minutes after launch. The flight adds to a constellation of more than 11,000 active spacecraft, but Starlink missions are launching less frequently than before. SpaceX is shifting its focus toward the larger Starship rocket, which is designed to carry upgraded Version 3 Starlink satellites that are too large for the Falcon 9.

This transition has slowed Falcon 9's launch cadence from a peak of every two to three days. While 2025 remains the rocket's busiest year with 165 launches, the Falcon 9 is currently on track to fly just under 150 missions