1 booster - 16 launches: SpaceX sets record for reusing Falcon 9 rocket's first stages

It has finally happened. SpaceX was able to renew the record for the reuse of the Falcon 9 rocket's first stages. The new milestone was reached on July 10 at 00:58 (EDT) or 21:58 (PDT).

Here's What We Know

SpaceX has now flown 46 missions since the beginning of 2023. The 46th launch took place a few hours ago after repeated postponements. The Falcon 9 rocket's first stage returned to Earth 8.5 minutes after liftoff, as usual. The rocket booster landed on the Just Read the Instructions platform. This was the 16th launch for it.

SpaceX typically sends more than 40 Starlink satellites into orbit on a single mission. This time Falcon 9 delivered 22 spacecraft. This is due to the fact that in this case the rocket carried into orbit Starlink v2 Mini, which are much heavier than conventional satellites, despite its smaller size.

For the first stage, it was the first launch since December 2022. SpaceX has another rocket booster in its portfolio with 15 launches to its credit and two stages that have been used in 14 missions.

Source: SpaceX