SpaceX Launches 50th Falcon 9 Rocket with 28 New Starlink Satellites

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, California — SpaceX is gearing up for its 50th Falcon 9 rocket launch this Sunday, October 20, 2025. The mission, named Starlink 11-19, aims to add 28 new satellites to its growing broadband internet constellation in low Earth orbit. According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, there are currently over 8,600 satellites in orbit.

The liftoff is set for 12:24 p.m. PDT (3:24 p.m. EDT / 1924 UTC) from Space Launch Complex 4 East. Live coverage will begin approximately 30 minutes prior to launch.

For this mission, SpaceX will utilize Falcon 9 booster B1088, marking its 11th flight. Previous missions for this booster include NASA’s SPHEREx and Transporter-12. Approximately 8.5 minutes after liftoff, B1088 is expected to autonomously land on the drone ship ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ in the Pacific Ocean. If successful, this will be the 158th landing on that vessel.

In related news, NASA announced a delay for its next Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station due to setbacks with the Falcon Heavy launch schedule. Preparations for the Crew Dragon mission are moving forward, pending evaluations on propellant loading discovered by SpaceX.

On October 19, SpaceX celebrated another milestone as Falcon 9 rocket launched 28 Starlink satellites, including the 10,000th Starlink spacecraft to reach orbit. This was the record-setting 132nd Falcon 9 launch of the year, equaling its annual mark with nearly two and a half months left in 2025.

SpaceX’s strategy of reusing rocket boosters is a significant factor in reducing the cost of space missions, as demonstrated by the success of booster 1067. Following its recent deployment of satellites, SpaceX continues to expand its Starlink broadband service, which now serves millions of customers globally.