SpaceX mission 2026: 29 Starlink satellites deployed in year’s third flight

SpaceX successfully completed its third mission of 2026 on Friday, launching a batch of 29 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit. This mission continues SpaceX’s aggressive launch cadence; the Falcon9 rocket, topped with the Starlink internet satellites, lifted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday (Jan.9) at 4:41 p.m. EST (2141 GMT).

The rocket’s first stage landed in the Atlantic Ocean about 8.5 minutes after liftoff. It was the 29th launch and landing for this particular booster.

The Falcon 9’s upper stage deployed the 29 satellites into low Earth orbit on schedule, approximately 65 minutes after launch.

Starlink is one of the largest constellations, consisting of more than 9,400 active spacecraft , and that number is growing all the time.

The Friday’s launch was SpaceX's third of 2026, the company launched 165 orbital missions, nearly three-quarters of which were dedicated Starlink flights.

The recent achievement marks a high-speed start to the year while solidifying its position in orbital launches and its utmost commitment to rapid reusability.