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SpaceX launches 29 Starlink satellites on Falcon 9 rocket
On Thursday, July 9, 2026, SpaceX launched 29 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station using a Falcon 9 rocket, marking a record 36th flight for Booster 1067.
Booster 1067 has completed more flights than any other SpaceX rocket, pursuing the all-time record held by NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery, which flew 39 times.
Residents across Central Florida spotted a "space jellyfish" in the sky after the 5:25 a.m. EDT launch, caused by the sun reflecting on the rocket's exhaust before the booster landed on the drone ship A Shortfall of Gravitas.
SpaceX is outpacing its 2025 deployment record, having launched 1,589 Starlink satellites in the first half of 2026, with the megaconstellation now consisting of more than 10,700 active satellites.
Florida's Space Coast has hosted 46 total launches this year, while Amazon's fledgling Leo service has deployed about 400 satellites toward a planned constellation of 3,232.