SpaceX Falcon Rocket Completes 600th Recovery, Starlink Satellites Reach 10,279 in Orbit
At 0:03 on April 20th, Falcon 9 rocket B1097.7 successfully launched 25 Starlink satellites into space and completed the recovery of its first-stage booster at sea. This marked SpaceX's 600th rocket recovery, increasing to 601 with the subsequent recovery of the GPSIII8 satellite launch a day later.
SpaceX excitedly announced: "Falcon's 600th landing!"
SpaceX first achieved orbital-class rocket landing recovery in 2015, reaching 500 recoveries in 10 years, and surpassing 600 just 7 months later.
This also represents SpaceX's 360th Falcon rocket launch, with some launches not recovering boosters to maximize payload capacity, and only a very small number of early failures.
When SpaceX initially pursued rocket recovery and reuse, it faced widespread skepticism. However, what was once considered a "far-fetched idea" has now become an industry benchmark, with commercial rockets now prioritizing reuse and recovery as key indicators.
However, the vast majority of SpaceX's launches are Starlink satellites, allowing them to quickly occupy a large amount of low Earth orbit.
Currently, there are 10,279 Starlink satellites in orbit, with 10,263 functioning normally.