SpaceX rocket launches Starlink satellites on record-breaking 17th flight

The Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Tuesday at 11:38 p.m. EDT (0338 GMT Sept. 20), carrying 22 of SpaceX's Starlink internet satellites toward low Earth orbit (LEO).

The rocket's first stage came back to Earth 8.5 minutes after launch, landing on a SpaceX drone ship stationed at sea.

It was the 17th liftoff and landing for this Falcon 9's first stage, according to a SpaceX mission description. Those figures are unprecedented; the previous mark was 16, held by two different Falcon 9 boosters. The 22 Starlink satellites, meanwhile, deployed from the Falcon 9's upper stage 62.5 minutes after launch as planned.

Tuesday night's liftoff extended another record as well: It was SpaceX's 65th orbital mission of the year. The company's previous mark, 61, was set in 2022.

Most of this year's SpaceX launches have been dedicated to building out the Starlink megaconstellation, which currently consists of more than 4,700 operational satellites. That number should continue growing for quite some time, as SpaceX has permission to loft 12,000 Starlink craft and has applied for approval for an additional 30,000.