SpaceX continues its remarkable streak in 2023, it achieved completing the 91st mission of the year after launching a pair of Starlink missions within two days, on December 7 and December 8. The aerospace company is on course to achieve an unprecedented 100 missions this year, underscoring the efficiency of its Falcon 9 rocket and the success of reusable rocket technology. (*Note: the 91 mission count includes this year’s Falcon Heavy and Starship flight tests.)
Gwynne Shotwell, President of SpaceX, expressed the company’s commitment to reaching 100 missions in 2023, to double the previous year’s achievements. This feat is made possible by SpaceX’s prowess in recovering and reusing orbital-class rockets.
On December 7, at 12:07 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, deploying 23 Starlink V2 Mini satellites to low-Earth orbit. Notably, the first stage booster, identified as B1077-9, completed its ninth successful flight, showcasing the reliability of reusable technology.
Liftoff! pic.twitter.com/iBETMTpR7m
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 7, 2023
The booster landed on the ‘Just Read the Instructions’ droneship in the Atlantic Ocean, reaffirming SpaceX’s mastery in rocket recovery. Booster B1077-9 previously supported: NASA’s Crew-5 mission, it launched U.S. Space Force GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat I6-F2, sent NASA CRS-28 cargo to the International Space Station, deployed Intelsat G-37 satellite, and now four Starlink missions.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Just Read the Instructions droneship pic.twitter.com/VG7Vbkzhes
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 7, 2023
The momentum continued on December 8 at 12:03 a.m. PT, as Falcon 9 launched 22 more Starlink V2 Mini satellites from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The first stage booster, B1071-13, completed its 13th flight, achieving a flawless landing on the ‘Of Course I Still Love You’ droneship in the Pacific Ocean.
B1071-13 previously launched the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office NROL-87 and NROL-85 missions, SARah-1, NASA SWOT Earth-observatory, SpaceX’s Transporter-8 and Transporter-9 rideshare missions, and now seven Starlink deployments.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on the Of Course I Still Love You droneship pic.twitter.com/eN5gAeEDq0
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 8, 2023
These week’s missions contribute to SpaceX’s impressive record of 253 orbital-class rocket landings, with recovered boosters being reused 225 times. The company’s commitment to sustainability and cost-effectiveness is evident in its ability to repeatedly use these rocket components.
SpaceX’s Starlink constellation now comprises approximately 5,208 satellites in Low Earth Orbit, providing internet services to over 2 million users globally. The company’s ambitious goals and technological achievements continue to redefine the landscape of space exploration and satellite communication. Read more: FCC Grants Partial Approval for SpaceX’s Starlink Satellite-to-Cellular System Deployment, Testing in Orbit for 10 days
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