SpaceX Breaks Record with Quickest Rocket Turnaround

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida — SpaceX set a new record for rocket turnaround on Saturday, launching its Falcon 9 rocket at 12:26 a.m. EDT as part of the Starlink 10-34 mission. The launch occurred just two days, eight hours, and 31 minutes after the previous Starlink launch on June 25.

This record-breaking launch overcame challenging weather conditions affecting Florida’s Space Coast. SpaceX successfully deployed 27 Starlink V2 Mini satellites during the early morning launch window.

The Falcon 9 rocket used the first-stage booster B1092, marking its fifth flight. Just over eight minutes after liftoff, the booster landed on the droneship ‘A Shortfall of Gravitas.’ This recovery was the 115th touchdown on that vessel and the 469th successful booster landing for SpaceX.

Later the same day, SpaceX planned another Falcon 9 launch for the Starlink 15-7 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 9:47 a.m. PDT (12:47 p.m. EDT).

Saturday’s launch also marked the 497th flight of the Falcon 9 rocket. This milestone coincided with the 10th anniversary of SpaceX’s seventh Commercial Resupply Services (CRS-7) mission to the International Space Station, a mission that ended prematurely due to an anomaly.

A few months ago, B1092 had also launched a NASA observatory, reflecting SpaceX’s commitment to reusing its rockets efficiently.

In related news, NASA has contracted Northrop Grumman for $187 million to design a crew habitat for the planned Gateway mini-space station near the Moon.

SpaceX continues to expand its Starlink satellite constellation, with plans to launch up to 12,000 satellites in total to enhance global internet connectivity.