Falcon 9 launch gaps widen as SpaceX prioritizes Starship
SpaceX deployed 27 Starlink satellites on Oct. 23, its 116th flight of the year, after an 11-day pause that signals a shift in its operational focus.
By Imani Donovan ·
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Oct. 23, placing 27 Starlink satellites into orbit.
The mission, designated Starlink Group 15-15, lifted off from Pad 4E at 6:48 p.m. EDT. This launch marked the 116th Falcon 9 flight of 2026, with approximately 75% of the year's missions dedicated to the internet constellation.
The 11-day gap between this launch and the previous Starlink mission highlights a slowing cadence. That prior flight was itself the first in more than three weeks. During peak operations, these missions occurred every two to three days. The 100th Falcon 9 launch of 2026, which deployed the Starlink 10-49 group from Cape Canaveral, was the final Starlink mission from Florida's Space Coast.
Booster B1063 performed its 36th landing, touching down on the droneship Of Course I Still Love You after eight minutes of flight. The same booster carried NASA's DART asteroid mission in November 2021. The upper stage completed its initial burn shortly after the booster landed and will conduct a second burn in roughly 45 minutes to deploy the satellites.
The shift in launch frequency aligns with SpaceX's development of the Starship rocket. Starship is designed for full reusability and features a payload bay large enough for Version 3 Starlink satellites, which exceed the Falcon 9's capacity. Once operational flights begin, SpaceX intends to phase out the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy variants.
The current launch rate suggests 2025 will remain the Falcon 9's busiest year, having recorded 165 launches. At the present pace, the rocket is projected to complete just under 150 missions by the end of 2026. The active Starlink constellation now comprises more than 11,000 spacecraft.
Source: Space.com
