The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket took off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, at 11:05 am EDT on June 11, 2026, to deploy 24 Starlink Internet satellites to low-Earth orbit. The mission, designated Group 17-44, was declared a success within the hour. While this might appear to be a routine mission, it was one that would see SpaceX’s Starlink mega-constellation surpass 10,600 satellites on the eve of SpaceX’s greatest day yet.
A Booster One Flight from History
According to the news, at the heart of the successful operation were the first-stage boosters, named B1071, which were launched for their 34th time into the atmosphere — just one short of equaling the reusability record of Falcon 9 booster B1067, set on June 8. Space.com reveals that B1067 has been responsible for setting the reusability record for the Falcon 9 boosters, which means B1071 is only behind by one flight. Following stage separation from the rocket, the booster made its way back down through the atmosphere to make a soft landing on the droneship “Of Course I Still Love You” stationed out at sea.
From Orbit to Nasdaq
The number of 10,600 satellites is much more than just an achievement because the density of these satellites and their placement into different shells will affect the performance of the broadband Internet. As stated above, SpaceX intends to have up to 42,000 satellites orbiting the Earth. The launch that happened on Thursday happened during the pricing of SpaceX’s IPO. SpaceX’s Nasdaq listing will occur on June 12 under the symbol SPCX with its shares priced at $135 each.
