Blastoff! SpaceX Launches 24 Starlink Satellites, Nails 3rd Rocket Landing of the Day

Why It Matters

Each new Starlink batch broadens global internet coverage, and the rapid, reusable launch cadence cuts costs, reinforcing SpaceX’s dominance in satellite services.

Key Takeaways

• SpaceX launched 24 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 today.
• All mission milestones reported nominal, including max Q and fairing separation.
• First-stage booster achieved successful landing, marking third landing that day.
• Stage 1 performed entry burn, transonic flight, and touchdown without anomalies.
• Starlink constellation expansion continues, boosting global broadband capacity and revenue.

Summary

SpaceX lifted off a Falcon 9 carrying 24 Starlink satellites, achieving its third successful first‑stage landing of the day.

The launch proceeded through all standard milestones—max‑Q, fairing separation, stage separation—each reported as nominal, and the booster executed a precise entry‑burn sequence before touchdown.

Telemetry confirmed “Stage 1 FTS is saved” and “landing confirmed,” underscoring the reliability of SpaceX’s autonomous return‑to‑launch‑site system after multiple rapid turnarounds.

The addition of 24 satellites expands the Starlink broadband network, while the repeatable landing further drives down launch costs, strengthening SpaceX’s competitive edge in the commercial satellite market.

Original Description

SpaceX launches 24 Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on April 29, 2026.

The first stage of the rocket landed on a droneship in the Pacific Ocean shortly after separation. It was SpaceX's 3rd booster landing of the day, after launching Falcon Heavy in the morning prior.

Credit: SpaceX