SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 booster carrying 23 more Starlink V2 Mini satellites to orbit tonight from Pad SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Station. Launch was at 7:42 PM EDT, and was successful and the booster used for the mission — B1078 — safely touched down off the Bahamas eight minutes and twenty-five seconds later.

SpaceX has now more launched more than 6,000 Starlink satellites for their orbiting constellation that provides Internet service to more than two million customers globally. Nearly 5,700 of those satellites are currently operational.

When a given Starlink satellite is designated inactive, it is purposely sent for a safe re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, where it burns up safely. The same will happen to the Falcon 9 second stage used for tonight’s mission: it too will be sent back into the atmosphere, where it will also burn up safely. These maneuvers prevent Starlink from creating any “space junk.”

Booster: B1078

Booster B1078 successfully completed its 8th flight tonight.

B1078 was first entered service in March, 2023 when it launched Stephen Bowen, Warren Hoburg, Sultan Al Neyadi and Andrey Fedyaev to the International Space Station as part of NASA/SpaceX’s Crew-6 for the Commercial Crew Program. Since that maiden launch, it has also lofted  SES O3b mPOWER, USSF-124, and now five Starlink missions.

After the landing, ASOG will return to Port Canaveral with the booster. It will then be returned to SpaceX’s Hangar X facility on Roberts Road inside Kennedy Space Center for inspection, refurbishment and possible preparation for its next mission, which will be its 20th.

Booster B1078
Flight Number	Payload	Date
1	Crew-6	March 2, 2023
2	O3b mPOWER 3 & 4	April 28, 2023
3	Starlink 6-4	June 4, 2023
4	Starlink 6-8	August 7, 2023
5	Starlink 6-16	September 16, 2023
6	Starlink 6-31	December 3, 2023
7	USSF-124	February 14, 2024
8	Starlink 6-46	March 25, 2024

Next Launch

United Launch Alliance is planning to launch its final Delta IV Heavy from SLC-37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Delta IV Heavy is the world’s second highest-capacity rocket in operation. After this launch, SLC-37 will be shuttered and is currently being studied by the US Space Force and SpaceX for potential use for the company’s Starship Heavy.

The launch window extends from 1:40 until 6:51 PM EDT.