SpaceX launch today marked another historic milestone as the aerospace company deployed 28 Starlink internet satellites aboard a brand-new Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The mission lifted off at 12:48 a.m. PST on November 23, 2025, continuing the company’s remarkable launch cadence in what has already become a record-breaking year.
The Starlink Group 11-30 mission represented the maiden flight of Falcon 9 first stage booster B1100, making it the eighth new booster to join SpaceX’s fleet this year. The rocket followed a southeastern trajectory along the California coastline before the booster successfully returned to Earth.
New Booster Marks Company’s 153rd Launch of 2025
This morning’s launch represents SpaceX’s 153rd Falcon 9 mission of 2025 and the 571st Falcon 9 flight overall. The achievement underscores SpaceX’s dominance in global space operations, with the company responsible for over half of all orbital launches worldwide this year.
About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the B1100 booster completed its first landing on the drone ship “Of Course I Still Love You,” stationed in the Pacific Ocean. The successful recovery adds to SpaceX’s impressive track record, with 535 successful booster landings to date out of 548 attempts.
Deployment of the 28 Starlink V2 Mini satellites occurred approximately one hour after launch. These satellites will join SpaceX’s rapidly expanding constellation, which now includes more than 9,000 active units in orbit serving customers worldwide.
Starlink Network Serves 8 Million Global Customers
SpaceX announced earlier this month that its Starlink internet service surpassed 8 million active customers across more than 150 countries and territories. This represents explosive growth from 6 million users in June 2025, demonstrating the service’s increasing global adoption.
The satellite internet provider currently adds an average of 14,250 new customers daily. This 17 percent increase in daily sign-ups highlights the growing demand for reliable high-speed internet, particularly in underserved and remote regions where traditional broadband infrastructure remains limited or unavailable.
Starlink’s expansion has made it the seventh-largest internet service provider in the United States when counting fixed subscribers. The service provides speeds ranging from 50 to 150 Mbps with latency between 20 to 40 milliseconds, making it competitive with many terrestrial internet options.
Record-Breaking Year for SpaceX Operations
The SpaceX launch today contributed to what has become an extraordinary year for the company. With 153 Falcon 9 launches completed and additional missions scheduled before year-end, SpaceX is on track to approach or exceed 160 total launches for 2025.
This year has also seen 110 dedicated Starlink deployment missions, adding approximately 2,814 satellites to the constellation. The aggressive launch schedule reflects SpaceX’s vertical integration strategy, using its own Falcon 9 rockets to deploy satellites efficiently and cost-effectively.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell initially projected 175 to 180 Falcon 9 launches for 2025. While the company may fall slightly short of that ambitious target, the actual performance still represents a massive achievement in aerospace history.
Vandenberg Continues Supporting West Coast Launches
Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base provides SpaceX with critical access to polar and sun-synchronous orbits. The facility’s location on the California coastline allows rockets to launch southward over open ocean, making it ideal for satellites requiring specific orbital inclinations.
Vandenberg has hosted numerous SpaceX missions throughout 2025, including Starlink deployments, national security payloads, and rideshare missions carrying dozens of small satellites for commercial and government customers. The upcoming Transporter-15 rideshare mission, scheduled for November 26, will deliver more than 100 spacecraft to orbit using Falcon 9 booster B1071 on its 30th flight.
Technical Excellence Through Reusability
The successful flight of booster B1100 on its maiden voyage demonstrates SpaceX’s confidence in its manufacturing and quality control processes. Each Falcon 9 Block 5 booster is designed for up to 15 flights with minimal refurbishment, with some boosters having exceeded 20 missions.
The current fleet record holder, booster B1067, has completed 31 missions. This reusability dramatically reduces launch costs, with the first stage representing the majority of a rocket’s total expense. By recovering and reusing boosters, SpaceX can offer competitive pricing while maintaining rapid launch schedules.
The company has also successfully recovered and reflown payload fairings more than 300 times, further reducing costs and demonstrating comprehensive reusability across the Falcon 9 system.
Global Connectivity Mission Continues
The 28 satellites launched today will enhance Starlink’s capacity to provide internet service worldwide. The constellation’s growth supports SpaceX’s mission to bring reliable, high-speed internet to underserved communities, remote research stations, maritime vessels, and aviation networks.
Recent partnerships have expanded Starlink’s reach into commercial aviation. International Airlines Group announced plans to install Starlink on more than 500 aircraft, including British Airways, Iberia, and Aer Lingus fleets beginning in 2026. United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have also committed to adding Starlink connectivity to their passenger planes.
SpaceX has additionally made progress on its direct-to-cell technology, which will enable satellite connectivity for standard smartphones without requiring specialized equipment. The company acquired spectrum licenses worth billions of dollars to support this initiative, with T-Mobile as the first carrier partner in the United States.
Looking Ahead to Future Missions
Following today’s successful launch, SpaceX has multiple missions scheduled in the coming days and weeks. The launch manifest includes additional Starlink deployments from both Florida and California facilities, as well as commercial satellite missions and national security payloads.
The company continues parallel development of its next-generation Starship vehicle at its Starbase facility in Texas. Starship is designed to eventually take over Starlink satellite deployments, carrying the larger Starlink V2 satellites that cannot fit inside Falcon 9’s payload fairing.
With Falcon 9’s proven reliability and SpaceX’s operational efficiency, the company remains positioned to maintain its leadership in global launch services. Each mission contributes to the broader goal of making space more accessible while generating revenue to support ambitious future projects, including eventual human missions to Mars.
The aerospace industry continues watching SpaceX’s achievements with interest, as the company’s rapid launch cadence and reusability advances set new standards for commercial spaceflight operations worldwide.
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