AI Insight
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on July 10, 2026, deploying 29 Starlink broadband satellites to low Earth orbit. The mission marked the 35th flight for the first-stage booster B1071, bringing it within one flight of the current reusability record of 36 launches set by booster B1067. The booster successfully landed on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean for potential future reuse.
Why it matters
This launch demonstrates advancing rocket reusability technology, significantly reducing spaceflight costs by flying the same booster dozens of times. The mission contributes to SpaceX's Starlink constellation, which now exceeds 10,700 active satellites providing global broadband internet coverage, with plans to potentially expand to 100,000 satellites.
Understand the Science
A SpaceX rocket just inched closer to the record books.
A Falcon 9 vehicle lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California tonight (July 10) at 11:01 p.m. EDT (8:01 p.m. local time; 0301 GMT on July 11), carrying 29 of SpaceX’s Starlink broadband satellites toward low Earth orbit (LEO).
It was the 35th flight for this rocket’s first stage, a booster designated B1071. The SpaceX record is 36, set just a few days ago by B1067 on another Starlink mission.
NROL-87 | NROL-85 | SARah-1 | SWOT | Transporter-8 | Transporter-9 | NROL-146 | Bandwagon-2 | NROL-153 | NROL-192 | Transporter-14 | Transporter-15 | CAS500-2 | 21 Starlink missions
And, there will likely be more flights for B1071 down the road. The booster came back to Earth for a touchdown tonight as planned, landing in the Pacific Ocean on the SpaceX droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” about 8.5 minutes after launch.
The Falcon 9’s upper stage, meanwhile, continued carrying the 29 Starlink satellites aloft. They’re scheduled to be deployed in LEO about 62 minutes after launch.
The Starlink megaconstellation currently consists of more than 10,700 active satellites, according to tracker Jonathan McDowell. The network is growing all the time, however, and it could eventually get very large indeed; SpaceX recently applied for approval to operate 100,000 of the spacecraft in LEO.
Tonight’s launch was the 81st Falcon 9 mission of 2026. About 80% of them have been Starlink flights.
Source: SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches for 35th time, hauls Starlink satellites to orbit (video)