SpaceX West Coast launch surge continues with Starlink mission

Liftoff of the Starlink 17-38 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California happened at 9:35 a.m. PDT (12:35 p.m. EDT / 1635 UTC).

The top 3

  1. Most Orbital Launches by a Single Company Annually: SpaceX achieved a new annual launch record with 165 orbital flights in 2025, surpassing its previous records and accounting for about 85% of American orbital launches that year.
  2. Top 3 Heaviest Payloads to Orbit: The Saturn V rocket holds the record for the heaviest functional payload to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at 141,136 kg (Apollo 17 mission), followed by the Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-117) at nearly 125,000 kg. SpaceX's Falcon Heavy is the most powerful operational rocket today, capable of lifting 63,800 kg to LEO.
  3. Highest Success Rate for Orbital Launches: SpaceX's Falcon 9 Block 5 variant has an exceptional launch success rate of 99.84% over 616 successful flights, making it one of the most reliable orbital rockets.

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