Happy Halloween! SpaceX launches 27 Starlink satellites to orbit from California

SpaceX celebrated Halloween with an early-morning launch from California. A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base today (Oct. 31) at 12:04 a.m. EDT (0404 GMT; 9:04 p.m. on Oct. 30 local time), sending 27 of the company's Starlink internet satellites to low Earth orbit (LEO). The Falcon 9's first stage came back to Earth as planned, touc

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  1. Efficiency through Booster Reusability: SpaceX utilizes a high-cadence strategy by reusing Falcon 9 first-stage boosters, which are recovered on autonomous drone ships. The mission on October 31, 2026, utilized booster B1093 for its 18th flight, demonstrating the company's ability to cycle hardware far beyond initial design expectations.
  2. Scale of Starlink Deployment: As of late 2026, SpaceX has integrated its Starlink network into a megaconstellation of over 11,000 satellites. With over 70% of the 118 Falcon 9 flights in 2026 dedicated to Starlink, the company maintains a consistent orbital insertion rate, with individual missions frequently deploying 27 or more satellites at a time.

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