On June 4, SpaceX sent another batch of Starlink satellites to orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This is one piece of SpaceX’s strategy to continue getting satellites into orbit fast in 2025. Starlink 11-22 lifted off at 7:40 p.m. EDT (4:40 p.m. PDT) when the Falcon 9 rocket roared into space on the way to low Earth orbit (LEO), carrying 27 satellites. This mission employed booster B1063 for the 26th time, but it marks the 18th flight for Starlink by itself. The booster then made a safe landing on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You, stationed in the Pacific Ocean, to bolster the reusability capability being developed by SpaceX.
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Booster B1063 Successfully Deploys 27 Starlink Satellites, Advancing Global Broadband Network
As per a Space.com report, the rocket’s nine Merlin engines shut down roughly 2.5 minutes into flight, followed by the upper stage’s continued ascent toward LEO. B1063’s successful return puts it in closer competition with the record-holding booster B1067, which has flown 28 times. The 27 Starlink satellites were deployed about one hour after launch and will now use onboard propulsion to drift into their final positions within the megaconstellation.
The Starlink service is ascending into a web that can carry data over space, with no reliance on ground-based hardware. It now operates more than 7,600 satellites. So, this configuration lets the world (the whole world, save for the poles) connect to the internet at fast speeds. Starlink’s orbital web can provide those in isolated and disadvantaged areas access to the internet.
The latest launch was the 68th Falcon 9 flight of the year and SpaceX’s 71st mission overall in 2025, including three test flights of SpaceX’s towering Starship spacecraft. The company’s rapid cadence underscores its long-term vision of scalable, cost-effective orbital operations. Each mission not only adds to the network’s capacity but also validates the reuse model that underpins the Falcon 9 programme.
The Starlink 11-22 mission adds further momentum to SpaceX’s satellite internet program, which remains central to its commercial and interplanetary goals. As satellite numbers climb and booster longevity improves, the company continues to redefine norms in aerospace efficiency and broadband infrastructure.
